Georgia will not tolerate EU blackmail

Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party and Mayor of Tbilisi, has criticized Western pressure on the country. He stated that blackmailing the country with financial assistance or candidate status for EU membership is unacceptable.

"Blackmail with money, blackmail with the status of a candidate, blackmail to start or not start negotiations are categorically unacceptable for us. We want friendship and partnership, but on equal terms," ​​Kaladze was quoted as saying by Sputnik Georgia.

The comment came against the backdrop of Germany's suspension of projects worth 237 million euros, which, according to German Ambassador to Georgia Peter Fischer, is related to the country's retreat from European integration and the suppression of protests.

Kaladze added that the authorities are ready to compensate for possible losses. If there is a need to support certain sectors, today the Georgian budget is ready to help. We will always be by the people's side," he said.

Recall that the wave of protests in Georgia is not calming down, which became more intense when the government announced that the issue of starting negotiations on EU membership was being removed from the agenda until 2028, as this issue is being used as a tool of blackmail. Opposition leaders and their supporters are demanding new parliamentary elections, and they are calling the October 26 elections fraudulent.

The US and the EU have stepped up pressure on Georgia, freezing some financial aid, suspending joint projects and imposing sanctions on Georgian officials. The US has also postponed the Noble Partner military exercises and imposed visa restrictions on more than 100 of the country's citizens.

The West accuses the Georgian authorities of abandoning democratic principles and repressing protesters. Tbilisi insists that the elections are legitimate, citing the fact that the OSCE/ODIHR and the country's Constitutional Court have recognized the results.