Washington Comments on Tbilisi Clashes

Washington has addressed the protests that took place in Georgia, according to Aliq. “Given that 20 percent of Georgia is occupied by Putin's forces, holding a meeting that led to this situation was a very foolish step,” stated David Kramer, a former member of the U.S. government, in an interview with Voice of America.

Senior analyst Paul Stronski from the Carnegie Foundation also spoke from Washington about the events. In his conversation with Voice of America, he expressed understanding for the protesters’ anger. “Russia often uses the Orthodox theme as a political weapon, including in the Balkans, Greece, and other countries. I understand the reasons for the anger, but it was not a good scene. I am worried that Russian propaganda could exploit the situation,” Stronski stated.

He also noted that the protests showed the strength of Georgia’s civil society. However, Stronski remarked that he could not understand what prompted the use of force, especially since the delegation had left Georgia and the people were expressing their dissent. He believes that the “Georgian Dream” made a wrong move.

The U.S. Embassy in Georgia has also responded to the incident. The embassy, in coordination with the EU delegation, issued a statement calling for calm from both sides. The Georgian government classified the protest as an attempt at provocation by “irresponsible forces.”

It should be noted that yesterday a group of Georgian lawmakers interrupted the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy taking place in Tbilisi and demanded the expulsion of Russian lawmakers from the country. Following this, protests began on the streets, particularly in front of the Russian embassy in Tbilisi.