EU warns of sanctions against Georgia
Kaja Kallas has cautioned that among the various options being evaluated by Brussels are economic penalties. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Kaja Kallas has accused Tbilisi of employing violence against protesters amid rising tensions in Georgia.
The new EU foreign policy chief, Kallas, indicated that sanctions are among several "options" the European Union is contemplating following Georgia's decision to suspend its EU accession talks and the government's crackdown on pro-EU demonstrations.
Protests in Tbilisi have escalated since Thursday when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze declared a freeze on EU accession discussions until 2028, citing Brussels' "constant blackmail and manipulation" of Georgia’s domestic affairs. At a demonstration on Saturday, protestors set off fireworks and hurled Molotov cocktails at riot police, who retaliated with tear gas and water cannons, resulting in numerous arrests.
While addressing reporters in Ukraine on Sunday, Kallas expressed support for the demonstrators, stating, “It is clear that using violence against peaceful protesters is not acceptable, and the Georgian government should respect the will of the Georgian people.” She added, “When it comes to the European Union, then this clearly has consequences on our relationship with Georgia.”
Kallas mentioned that she had provided EU member states with a list of potential measures, which include economic sanctions. “We have different options,” she explained. “But of course, we need to come to agreement.”
The Georgian Dream party, led by Kobakhidze and which secured nearly 54% of the votes in last month’s parliamentary elections, advocates for maintaining stable relations with both the EU and Russia. However, pro-Western opposition parties and French-born President Salome Zourabichvili have rejected the election results. Zourabichvili's term is set to end this month, but she has stated her intention to remain in office until new elections are conducted.
Kobakhidze has attributed the recent civil unrest to “EU politicians and their agents,” suggesting that the West is attempting to incite a coup similar to the US-backed Maidan revolution in Ukraine in 2014. Earlier this year, he accused the European Commission of threatening him with assassination in response to legislation requiring NGOs that receive over 20% of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents.
Kallas, who assumed office on Sunday as the successor to veteran EU diplomat Josep Borrell, previously served as Estonia's prime minister. She is recognized for her strong anti-Russian stance and has consistently advocated for increased sanctions against Moscow and military support for Ukraine. Under her guidance, Estonia became the first EU nation to endorse a mechanism aimed at seizing frozen Russian assets to provide compensation for Ukraine.
Earlier this year, Russia issued an arrest warrant for Kallas, owing to her initiatives to dismantle Soviet WWII memorials in Estonia.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
The new EU foreign policy chief, Kallas, indicated that sanctions are among several "options" the European Union is contemplating following Georgia's decision to suspend its EU accession talks and the government's crackdown on pro-EU demonstrations.
Protests in Tbilisi have escalated since Thursday when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze declared a freeze on EU accession discussions until 2028, citing Brussels' "constant blackmail and manipulation" of Georgia’s domestic affairs. At a demonstration on Saturday, protestors set off fireworks and hurled Molotov cocktails at riot police, who retaliated with tear gas and water cannons, resulting in numerous arrests.
While addressing reporters in Ukraine on Sunday, Kallas expressed support for the demonstrators, stating, “It is clear that using violence against peaceful protesters is not acceptable, and the Georgian government should respect the will of the Georgian people.” She added, “When it comes to the European Union, then this clearly has consequences on our relationship with Georgia.”
Kallas mentioned that she had provided EU member states with a list of potential measures, which include economic sanctions. “We have different options,” she explained. “But of course, we need to come to agreement.”
The Georgian Dream party, led by Kobakhidze and which secured nearly 54% of the votes in last month’s parliamentary elections, advocates for maintaining stable relations with both the EU and Russia. However, pro-Western opposition parties and French-born President Salome Zourabichvili have rejected the election results. Zourabichvili's term is set to end this month, but she has stated her intention to remain in office until new elections are conducted.
Kobakhidze has attributed the recent civil unrest to “EU politicians and their agents,” suggesting that the West is attempting to incite a coup similar to the US-backed Maidan revolution in Ukraine in 2014. Earlier this year, he accused the European Commission of threatening him with assassination in response to legislation requiring NGOs that receive over 20% of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents.
Kallas, who assumed office on Sunday as the successor to veteran EU diplomat Josep Borrell, previously served as Estonia's prime minister. She is recognized for her strong anti-Russian stance and has consistently advocated for increased sanctions against Moscow and military support for Ukraine. Under her guidance, Estonia became the first EU nation to endorse a mechanism aimed at seizing frozen Russian assets to provide compensation for Ukraine.
Earlier this year, Russia issued an arrest warrant for Kallas, owing to her initiatives to dismantle Soviet WWII memorials in Estonia.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
