Parliamentary Committee Head Levan Makhashvili accuses US Ambassador of undermining Georgia–US relations reset

Levan Makhashvili, Chair of Georgia’s Parliamentary Committee on European Integration, responded to recent comments made by US Ambassador Robin Dunnigan during an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, accusing her of attempting to disrupt the ongoing reset in US–Georgia relations.

Speaking on the Imedi TV channel, Makhashvili emphasized that Georgia is currently engaged in a delicate process of rebuilding ties with the United States. He suggested that Dunnigan’s statements—made via a media outlet he claimed had been shut down by the current US administration for spreading propaganda—were aimed at provoking a response from the ruling Georgian Dream party in order to later assign blame for any setbacks in bilateral relations.

“We are in a sensitive phase of resetting relations with the US. Georgia has been extremely cautious and respectful in this process,” Makhashvili stated. “Yet suddenly, we hear these harsh and unexpected remarks from a former ambassador, through a channel the US president himself shut down.”

He warned that such commentary might be part of a deliberate effort to sabotage progress: “There’s a feeling this interview is an attempt to provoke a reaction from us, to then pin the blame for hindering the reset on someone from Georgian Dream.”

Makhashvili also addressed the ambassador’s criticism regarding ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili’s refusal to meet with her, saying he had clearly stated his refusal was based on ongoing US sanctions against him, which he considers unjust. “Entering into a dialogue while under unfair sanctions would have been perceived as blackmail and a blurring of personal and state interests,” Makhashvili explained.

Makhashvili added that the reset effort was progressing, with Georgia having appointed a new ambassador to the US and expecting the US to do the same. “But clearly, some do not welcome this thaw. Such aggressive remarks only raise suspicions of deliberate obstruction.”

In her July 7 interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Robin Dunnigan reflected on the deterioration of US–Georgia relations since early 2024, saying that the Georgian government had taken steps that “increasingly isolated the country from the United States and diverted it from its constitutional goal of joining the EU.”

She also warned that the rule of law and judicial independence had weakened, and that the business environment had become less attractive to American investors, who now saw Georgia as moving closer to Russia, Iran, and China.