Kobakhidze Approves USD 10.4 Mln American Grant for Georgia’s Defense Ministry

The United States will provide USD 10.4 million in communications equipment and other related goods as a grant to Georgia’s Ministry of Defense, according to a decree signed by the Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on December 22.

“The authority is granted to the Ministry of Defense of Georgia to receive communications equipment and other types of goods defined by the grants allocated to the Ministry of Defense of Georgia by the Government of the United States of America,” the decree states.

The approval covers the transfer of goods under five separate grant programs – PB-B-WFK, DT-B-WAZ, PB-B-WFJ, DT-B-WBC, and DT-B-WBA – with a total value of USD 10,431,459.90, according to the decree. No additional details were provided regarding the delivery timeline or operational use of the U.S.-supplied equipment.

The grant comes amid Georgian Dream’s tightening oversight of Western-funded assistance, including the adoption of a Georgian version of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and amendments to grant legislation requiring foreign donors to obtain government approval before disbursing funds to local entities in Georgia. The restrictions mainly target non-governmental and media organizations.

It also arrives against the backdrop of a continued rupture in U.S.-Georgia relations. In November 2024, Washington suspended its Strategic Partnership with Georgia, and later imposed sanctions on Georgian officials and ruling Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Since returning to the office in January 2025, the Trump administration has largely remained silent on Georgia, despite Georgian Dream’s efforts to present itself as ideologically aligned with Trump and repeated messages about Tbilisi’s willingness to reset relations.

Also Read:

• 28/05/2025 – Ivanishvili Says Sanctions, “Blackmail” Behind His Refusal to Meet U.S. Diplomat
• 21/05/2025 – U.S. Secretary of State Rubio Calls Georgian Dream an “Anti-American Government”, Warns of Consequences

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