Abhishek G BhayaAs Georgia plays host to a major NATO-led multinational military exercise, a senior Georgian lawmaker has lashed out at what he calls “hypocritical and groundless” accusations from some Western partners alleging that Tbilisi is veering away from its pro-Western path and leaning towards Moscow.
“The blame game coming from our Western partners lacks any evidence. I would say it is very hypocritical,” Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chairman of Georgia’s powerful Foreign Relations Committee, told TRT World in an exclusive interview.
“When Western leaders accuse the Georgian government of being close to Russia, they need to show evidence. Otherwise, they should apologise — not just to the government but to the Georgian people who elected it,” said Samkharadze, a lawmaker from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, hitting back strongly at Western criticism.
Running from July 21 to August 8 across Georgia and Türkiye, the Agile Spirit 2025 drills bring together over 2,000 troops from 10 NATO and partner nations, including more than 800 US troops and forces from Georgia, Türkiye, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Moldova, and the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade.
“There is nothing extraordinary about Georgia hosting these exercises,” Samkharadze said. “This is a continuation of Georgia’s integration into NATO, which unfortunately is now stalled because the allies are not brave enough to incorporate us.”
Committed to NATO and EU membership
The ongoing Agile Spirit 2025 drills in Georgia serve as both a symbolic and strategic counter to growing perceptions that Tbilisi is drifting away from the West.
But beneath the optics lies a deeper frustration — Georgia remains a committed aspirant to both NATO and the EU, yet feels it is being stonewalled by the very partners whose criticism it now seeks to rebut.
Samkharadze reminded Georgia's bid for NATO membership is enshrined in the country’s constitution and was endorsed by the alliance during the 2008 Bucharest summit.
But despite that promise, Georgia—like Ukraine—has yet to be granted a formal Membership Action Plan, a precursor to joining the alliance.
Since joining NATO's Partnership for Peace in 1994, Georgia has steadily deepened its cooperation with the alliance as part of its broader Euro-Atlantic integration. It has hosted and participated in several major NATO exercises, including Cooperative Longbow 09 exercise (2009), and the biennial Agile Spirit (since 2011).
The ongoing NATO drill takes place against the backdrop of worsening US-Georgia relations. In July 2024, the US Department of Defense indefinitely postponed the long-running bilateral Noble Partner drills—held in Georgia since 2016—as part of a broader reassessment of bilateral ties.
Tensions further escalated in November 2024, when the US suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia following GD’s decision to delay the country’s EU accession efforts until 2028.
When asked about the role of the United States—especially under President Donald Trump, who returned to power earlier this year—and whether Washington’s wavering commitment to NATO affects Georgia's prospects, Samkharadze was candid.
“Trump has been in office for only six months. Georgia has waited 17 years. The real issue lies with certain European NATO members, particularly in Western Europe, who have never supported Georgia’s membership,” he said, without naming specific countries.
“There needs to be an honest dialogue. Our people deserve to know how serious the alliance is about our inclusion.”
Samkharadze dismissed talk of a Russia tilt, saying Georgia’s path to NATO and EU membership is clear—and it’s the West that’s falling short on its commitments.
Despite the tensions with Brussels, Georgia still hopes to join the European Union by 2030—a goal reaffirmed by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
Samkharadze echoed that optimism, stating that Georgia continues to work on reforms aligned with the EU’s Association Agreement.
“We remain committed and prepared. But accession is a two-way street. Georgia may be ready, but is the EU ready to enlarge?” he asked.
Pushback against Western allegations
Georgia’s hosting of the Agile Spirit 2025 NATO drills comes as political tensions with the West simmer over accusations of democratic backsliding—particularly around a controversial law requiring foreign-funded NGOs to disclose financial sources. Critics in the EU and US have likened the legislation to Russian-style restrictions, comparison Georgian officials firmly reject.
Samkharadze dismissed such parallels as unfounded. “The so-called ‘foreign agent’ law does not violate any European norms. There are similar requirements across EU countries.”
“If the EU thinks otherwise, let them take it to court. This criticism lacks any legal basis and is simply being used as a pretext to freeze Georgia’s EU accession process,” he asserted, insisting the law is about transparency—not repression.
According to Samkharadze, many of the foreign-funded NGO active in Georgia were not independent but tied to opposition parties and “actively stirring unrest.”
A TRT World investigation in December 2024 found that 37 such NGOs had direct political affiliations, and more than 90 percent of Georgia’s civil society funding comes from Western donors.
In a strategic countermove this February, the ruling Georgian Dream party announced it would replace the contested legislation with a “word-for-word copy” of the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), effectively disarming Western criticism by mirroring American legal standards.
Nevertheless, on July 9, the European Parliament adopted a report deploring what it called "democratic backsliding and repression in Georgia.” EU officials argue the legislation undermines civil society. Tbilisi disputes this allegation.
Samkharadze pushed back, noting Georgia severed diplomatic ties with Moscow 17 years ago after the 2008 war and the Russian occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. “We’ve had no political or diplomatic contact with Russia since then. Georgia has consistently acted in its own national interest and has never served Russian interests,” he said.
While Georgia continues to engage in tourism and trade with Russia, Samkharadze characterised these are pragmatic economic decisions, not political alignment.
