U.S. Ambassador Says War-Dragging Narrative ‘FSB Disinformation’

U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has said the “insidious narrative” in Georgia that the United States is dragging  the country into Russia’s war against Ukraine, “seems straight out of an FSB disinformation book.”

In her remarks to reporters today at Tbilisi Pride’s Regional LGBTQI+ Conference, Ambassador Degnan also stressed that “the United States does not want to see this war expand in any way. The United States is doing everything we can to stop this war as soon as possible.”

“It was Putin who launched this aggressive and brutal war against Ukraine, and it is Putin who can stop this war.”

This is the second time this month that the U.S. Ambassador has publicly addressed the allegation. Several pundits closely aligned with the ruling Georgian Dream party have intensified the outright accusations as the Georgian Gov’t faces increasing criticism from the West over its democratic credentials. The pundit narrative has been extensively cited by pro-government Imedi TV.

Yesterday, MPs Dimitri Khundadze, Mikheil Kavelashvili, and Sozar Subari, who formally departed the Georgian Dream, claimed, albeit without naming the U.S. that “Georgia will not receive the [EU] candidacy even after six months if we are not engaged in the war or impose the sanctions on Russia.”

• U.S. not Dragging Georgia into War, Says Ambassador
• GD Denies it Accused U.S. of Nudging Georgia Towards War
• U.S. Ambassador Slams GD over ‘Confusing’ Comments

She noted that the United States and Europe, are the friends of Georgia, that over the past 30 years, have done their best to help Georgia along its path to Euro-Atlantic integration.

“I think it’s really important for Georgians to remember that it is Russia that occupies 20% of your territory. It is Russia that tried to kill your language. It’s Russia that desecrated your churches by using them as stables for animals.”

In her words, “if there’s any question about what Russia’s friendship for Georgia means, all you have to do is look at the Administrative Boundary Line [meaning Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/S. Ossetia lines of occupation- Civil.ge’s note] to see your friends are in the United States and in Europe. And that is the path to peace, stability, and prosperity for Georgia.”

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