Tbilisi Mayor and the ruling Georgian Dream General Secretary, Kakha Kaladze, has stated that he is not afraid of sanctions and that the current situation "makes him smile."
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"I have not received any messages. Everything that is happening seems frivolous and makes me smile. The discussion of sanctions is simply causing smiles. We are unaware of the exact number of people sanctioned, whether it's 100 or 200; it doesn't matter. We stand guard for our country. Our top priority is the country, maintaining peace, and ensuring that no one, regardless of who they are, will be allowed to replicate the unfortunate events occurring in Ukraine here in Georgia.
We will stand firm and protect the interests of our country. While it may be a concern for some to travel or not, for me, it is not important when it comes to my country and homeland. The last time I was in America was when I played for Milan. Since then, I have not been back and have no desire to leave," Kaladze told journalists.
Regarding the issue of reviewing US financial assistance, the leader of the ruling party attempted to downplay its significance by suggesting that the largest portion of the funds is allocated to financing the "America's agency."
Following the adoption of the Russian Law on so-called Foreign Agents, the US State Department announced the first round of visa sanctions. This included two to three dozen individuals, such as members of Georgian Dream, parliamentarians, law enforcement personnel, and private individuals, who are now prohibited from entering US territory. The specific list of individuals was not disclosed.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that the US will continue to assess financial aid to Georgia, which has totalled approximately $390 million in recent years.
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Jim O'Brien, cautioned the Georgian government regarding the review of financial assistance before the final approval of the Russian law. "The US has about $390 million in assistance that we are planning to spend with Georgian authorities. Half on military assistance, a little more or about another third roughly on economic development projects, and more on building institutions along with some for civil society. All that has to be under review if we are now regarded as an adversary and not a partner." O'Brien stated during his visit to Tbilisi on May 14.
