The United States imposed sanctions this Friday (27) against the country’s billionaire former prime minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili, seen by many as the nation’s de facto leader, under the argument that he was undermining local democracy and benefiting Russia.
Ivanishvili, who made billions in Russia from metals and telecommunications in the 1990s, led a change of tack that saw the country turn its back on the West, accusing foreign spy agencies of trying to get Georgia to go to war with Russia .
Critics say that under the rule of his Georgian Dream party, the country has become more authoritarian and pro-Moscow.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington is sanctioning the reclusive Ivanishvili for “undermining Georgia’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic future, to the benefit of the Russian Federation.”
Blinken claimed that Ivanishvili implemented “actions or policies that undermined democratic processes and institutions in the US and elsewhere” to Russian benefit.
The sanctions, which freeze any of Ivanishvili’s US assets, come after years of poor relations between the West and Georgia, a former Soviet republic and candidate to join the European Union.
Current Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the move “blackmail,” saying it was a “reward” for Ivanishvili for protecting Georgia from war.
Controlled by Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream claims to be committed to a democratic and pro-Western Georgia. But it maintains pragmatic ties with neighboring Russia at the same time.
Last month, the country froze negotiations with the European Union until 2028, abruptly halting a long-standing national goal. The freeze triggered protests and a crackdown that ended with the arrest of more than 400 people, including opposition politicians.
This content was originally published in US imposes sanctions against billionaire and former Georgian prime minister on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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