A year after hundreds of thousands of Georgians poured onto the streets to protest the pro-Russian ruling party, Georgian Dream’s abrupt suspension of the country’s EU accession bid has set off a bipartisan alarm in Washington.
On the anniversary of the 2024 mass demonstrations, Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Chairman James Risch (R-ID) and Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued a pointed joint statement. Their message was stark: Georgia is actively sliding away from democratic norms.
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The senators framed the past year as a “dark new chapter,” marking a sharp pivot from the pro-Western promises the Georgian Dream party made during its election campaign.
“The level of frustration with Tbilisi is nearing a breaking point on both sides of the aisle,” a senior Senate Republican aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Kyiv Post, adding, “They are actively jeopardizing decades of partnership. This statement is a final, clear warning before punitive measures kick in.”
Broken promises and popular outcry
The senators highlighted the core of the crisis: the government’s reversal on Euro-Atlantic integration, which they say violated constitutional obligations and betrayed the will of the vast majority of the Georgian people.
Their statement emphasized that the protests were more than routine political dissent – they were a defense of Georgia’s post-Soviet democratic and pro-Western trajectory.
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“In response, Georgians took to the streets to demand change and demonstrate against the government’s failure to listen to its voters,” the senators wrote, noting that frustration stems directly from the government’s broken promises regarding the nation’s European future.
Authoritarian creep on display
Over the past year, the crisis has intensified. The senators detailed how Georgian Dream has passed authoritarian laws to suppress dissent, targeted political opposition through imprisonments and party bans, intimidated civil society leaders, and maligned the US and its embassy personnel, straining ties with one of Georgia’s most reliable democratic partners.
“These unprecedented steps represent a significant crackdown on the Georgian people,” the senators warned.
They noted that the retreat from Euro-Atlantic integration is not merely an internal matter; it has regional and strategic implications, threatening stability in the South Caucasus and undermining Western efforts to counter Russian influence.
Fraying bipartisan safety net: MEGOBARI Act delay
The Senate’s censure comes amid internal friction over how Washington should respond. The House, driven by strong bipartisan consensus, overwhelmingly passed the Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence (MEGOBARI) Act – meaning “friend” in Georgian.
The bill mandates a review of US-Georgia relations, sanctions on officials responsible for corruption and anti-democratic measures, and a conditional path to renewed aid if Georgia reverses course.
However, the MEGOBARI Act has stalled in the Senate, failing to reach the floor despite committee approval.
The culprit: Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), who has leveraged procedural rules to block the bill from inclusion in must-pass legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and from passing via unanimous consent – a mechanism usually reserved for uncontroversial measures.
Mullin’s obstruction has puzzled colleagues given his prior criticism of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.
“There’s a lot of head-scratching over here,” a senior Republican aide told Kyiv Post.
“This is a clear-cut case where the government is siding with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin over its own people, and one senator is essentially handing Tbilisi a major win. The lack of a unified American message is a propaganda coup for the ruling party,” another aide said.
Critics argue that Mullin’s blockade denies Georgians the “tough love” needed to push back against democratic backsliding.
Washington’s inability to act decisively offers Tbilisi a talking point, allowing Georgian Dream to portray the Act’s failure as a victory against external interference.
Clear red line and choice
The bipartisan Risch-Shaheen statement elevates the warning from partisan critique to unified Senate foreign policy leadership.
Their demand is direct: the Georgian government must “immediately reverse course, restore political freedoms, and recommit to democratic governance.”
The choice is stark: return to the democratic path underpinning Georgia’s post-Soviet aspirations – or risk isolation, internal unrest, and a growing estrangement from Washington.
For Georgians, whose resilience the senators praised, the stakes – security, sovereignty, and Western integration – have never been higher.
In the corridors of Washington, the message is clear: Georgia’s drift is no longer a distant concern – it is a frontline issue for US foreign policy. The MEGOBARI Act, held hostage by a single Senate objection, is emblematic of broader fragmentation in America’s response.
Policymakers warn that failure to act decisively now could embolden authoritarian actors elsewhere, signaling that democratic commitments are negotiable.
For Georgia, and for the West, the coming months may determine whether the country reclaims its democratic trajectory – or drifts irreversibly toward Moscow’s orbit.
The Senate’s next moves will not only define US-Georgia relations but will also shape the credibility of American influence in the region for years to come.