"Ivanishvili's propaganda, suggesting that he could restore relations with the United States if Donald Trump is elected president, is a complete lie and another attempt to mislead the citizens of Georgia," said Tina Bokuchava, chairperson of the oppositional United National Movement party, upon her return from the United States. Bokuchava attended the Republican Party convention in the U.S., where Donald Trump was officially nominated as the presidential candidate on July 18.
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According to the leader of the party, the only way to restore relations with the United States is to change the government of Georgia in the October 26 elections.
"The initiative to impose sanctions against Ivanishvili and his entourage in Congress was spearheaded by a Trump-supporting congressman and was backed by the full composition of the Congress Foreign Relations Committee. U.S. policy towards the Ivanishvili administration enjoys bipartisan support from both Democrats and Republicans. Therefore, the restoration of relations will not come from a change in the U.S. government but from a change in the Georgian government and the replacement of Ivanishvili's administration with a pro-democratic, pro-Western, pro-American coalition government. Furthermore, at the Republican Party convention, Donald Trump spoke about Russia's invasion of Georgia and unequivocally stated that his policy towards Russia would be very strict.
It is impossible for the strategic interests of Donald Trump and Ivanishvili to align, given that Ivanishvili supports Russia's victory, while Donald Trump champions the joint victory of powerful America, and thus the West and Ukraine.
Moreover, Donald Trump will be intolerant of increased Chinese influence, whereas Ivanishvili expelled Americans from the Anaklia port and congratulated the Chinese company, sanctioned by the Americans, for constructing a strategic port on the Black Sea, thus giving China influence instead of the Americans," said Bokuchava.
According to her, the leadership of the Republican Party firmly supports Georgia's Euro-Atlantic choice.
On July 16, at the opening of the party's election campaign, Bidzina Ivanishvili, honorary chairman of Georgian Dream, stated that all "misunderstandings" with the U.S. and Europe would be resolved within a year at most.
"We have a maximum of one year left, after which global and regional political interests, including those in Georgia, will fundamentally change.," Ivanishvili told his supporters. He added that the current war in Ukraine would end within a year at the latest, and if Republicans win the American presidential elections, the war might end even in January. "Therefore, the most important thing is to win this short period, and as soon as the war ends, all misunderstandings with America and Europe will immediately become a thing of the past," said the founder of the ruling party.
