The EU’s allegations of “democratic backsliding” and other shortcomings ring hollow given the broadly positive assessment of Georgia by international institutions, reads the article, published by The National Interest.

“It is true that relations between the United States and Georgia, once the backbone of Washington’s South Caucasus policy, have been lukewarm at best for nearly half a decade. This is not, however, due to any lack of interest on Georgia’s part, as Tbilisi’s repeated overtures to the Trump administration, formal and otherwise, have demonstrated. Nor is it caused by any supposed rapprochement with Moscow, which has been and remains a political and military red line for any Georgian government, despite what is repeated, often in hyperventilating tones, in Western and local opposition-leaning media outlets.

Last May, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze wrote an open letter to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance emphasizing the programmatic similarities between the Georgian government and the latter’s administration. In this letter, Kobakhidze complained to Trump about his administration’s treatment of Georgia, notwithstanding their political closeness and the common challenges faced by Tbilisi and Washington alike with non-governmental and international actors.

From a Georgian political perspective, the letter’s contents were logical. The undoing of US-Georgian ties came from Washington, not Tbilisi, and has taken place despite Trump and his cabinet. In Washington and Brussels, antagonism towards Georgia is framed around its supposed ties to Russia and Iran, which are variously attributed to the state, the ruling party, or specific leaders within it. In Europe, and especially in Brussels, diplomats and politicians alike are more open about their motivations: Tbilisi’s opposition to liberal Western diktats on Ukraine, social issues - including LGBT policies - and the role of NGOs in domestic politics.

As a result, Georgia has come under increased financial and political pressure from Brussels. Over the past few months alone, the European Union (EU) has repeatedly tried to impose sanctions on Georgia, though Hungary and Slovakia have thus far vetoed all its efforts. In its most recent sanctions package, Brussels went so far as to propose sanctioning strategic infrastructure, such as the Port of Kulevi, which the Azerbaijani state-owned oil giant SOCAR uses for its Black Sea operations.

The EU has similarly suspended visa-free travel rights for “holders of Georgian diplomatic, service, and official passports” as a response to alleged “democratic backsliding” and other shortcomings in Tbilisi. These accusations ring hollow given the broadly positive assessment of Georgia by international institutions. The IMF, for example, praised the country last year for its sustained economic growth amid geopolitical challenges. Similarly, in terms of economic freedom, Georgia is ranked ahead of 17 EU Member States”, - writes the author of the article, Stefano Arroque.