US puts strategic partnership with Georgia on hold
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller criticized the Georgian government in light of ongoing protests regarding EU accession talks. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Protests in the ex-Soviet state are ongoing for the third day after the government's decision to freeze EU accession talks until 2028.
On Saturday, Washington announced the suspension of its strategic partnership with Georgia, criticizing the ruling party's recent choice to halt EU accession discussions.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller denounced the Georgian Dream party for this decision. “Georgian Dream’s decision to suspend EU accession is a betrayal of the Georgian constitution,” he posted on X. “We condemn excessive force used against Georgians exercising their freedom to protest and have suspended our Strategic Partnership with Georgia.”
The Georgian government’s announcement came on Thursday, when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze revealed that EU membership discussions would not be prioritized until at least 2028. He indicated that while Georgia aspires to join the EU, it wants to do so under fair conditions, alleging that the EU is using the talks to “blackmail” Georgia and interfere in its internal matters.
In response to the government's announcement, protests erupted in multiple cities, with demonstrators facing off against police in the capital, Tbilisi. President Salome Zourabichvili voiced her support for the protesters, labeling the parliament as “illegitimate” and pledging not to resign before her term concludes on December 16.
On Saturday evening, tensions escalated outside the parliament building, where law enforcement utilized water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Several protesters were detained, and in retaliation, demonstrators threw bottles, eggs, and fireworks at the police, continuing the unrest that has persisted for three consecutive days.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Saturday, Washington announced the suspension of its strategic partnership with Georgia, criticizing the ruling party's recent choice to halt EU accession discussions.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller denounced the Georgian Dream party for this decision. “Georgian Dream’s decision to suspend EU accession is a betrayal of the Georgian constitution,” he posted on X. “We condemn excessive force used against Georgians exercising their freedom to protest and have suspended our Strategic Partnership with Georgia.”
The Georgian government’s announcement came on Thursday, when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze revealed that EU membership discussions would not be prioritized until at least 2028. He indicated that while Georgia aspires to join the EU, it wants to do so under fair conditions, alleging that the EU is using the talks to “blackmail” Georgia and interfere in its internal matters.
In response to the government's announcement, protests erupted in multiple cities, with demonstrators facing off against police in the capital, Tbilisi. President Salome Zourabichvili voiced her support for the protesters, labeling the parliament as “illegitimate” and pledging not to resign before her term concludes on December 16.
On Saturday evening, tensions escalated outside the parliament building, where law enforcement utilized water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Several protesters were detained, and in retaliation, demonstrators threw bottles, eggs, and fireworks at the police, continuing the unrest that has persisted for three consecutive days.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
