We are going to judge the Georgian Government based on their policies, and that our policies will depend on the actions that they take. Such a statement made Matthew Miller, the Spokesperson of the US Department of State.

“QUESTION: On Georgia, we heard from the State Department officials yesterday on the Hill. They were talking about some measures that they are planning to take, but they also said that it remains – I’m quoting – it remains our hope that Georgian leadership will reconsider their actions, sentiment that I also heard from this podium a couple of weeks ago. We talk about same regime that is, like, galloping away from the European values. They are talk about even – they’re waiting you out, according to their latest statements, and they are talking about Trump administration would come in and everything will become bright for us. They are blacklisting Georgians fighting in Ukraine. What gives you hope that they are open to reconsidering their position?

MR MILLER: So if you’ve looked at the actions that we’ve taken, we have made clear that we are going to judge the Georgian Government based on their policies, and that our policies will depend on the actions that they take. And so you saw the Secretary announce a review of our relationship with Georgia. You saw him oppose initial restrictions, initial sanctions on officials in Georgia. That review with Georgia continues.

Now, we are always hopeful that any country that starts to backslide on a path towards – backslide on democratic measures or backslides on European-Atlantic integration, we’re always hopeful that they will change course, especially when you see the people of that country saying that they want to change course. But at the same time that we hope that they will make a change, we develop our policies around the very real contingency that they might not, and that’s what you’ve seen us doing”.