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| Media in Europe and Eurasia, at 154 (2017). 429 Ibid. The governments of Estonia and Poland quickly mobilized to assist the Georgian government to get back online, with the Estonians sharing experience from the attack on their cyber infrastructure the year before (see Chapter 6). 423 Saakashvili came to power in the wake of the Rose Revolution in 2003 and he quickly sought to establish stronger ties with Western institutions, drawing Putin’s ire. At an April 2008 summit in Bucharest, NATO pledged to review the possibility of offering a Membership Action Plan to Georgia. 424 Putin responded to the statement by saying that expansion of NATO to Russia’s borders would betaken in Russia as a direct threat to the security of our country.’’ 425 While not the only factor in Russia’s 2008 invasion, Georgia’s active steps to deepen ties with NATO appears to have been a critical element of Russia’s decision to invade. The short war would presage future Russian hybrid warfare in Europe, meant to resist NATO and EU enlargement and the consolidation of democracy on the continent. Today, Russia recognizes the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and, with the support of separatist forces, continues to station troops in the two breakaway regions. 426 Moscow has also entered into treaties of partnership and strategic alliance with the two regions, further solidifying the frozen conflict. The timing of the war in Georgia coincided with apolitical transition in the United States from the Bush to Obama Administrations. The outgoing Bush Administration seemed reluctant to impose sanctions on Russia for its aggression in the waning days of its term. The incoming Obama Administration sought a reset with Russia, which also precluded significant coercive measures tore- spond to the Kremlin’s aggression. Despite the lack of a more aggressive response to Russian actions, both administrations did invest significantly in building governing institutions in Georgia and its integration into NATO structures. 427 Beyond its military assaults on Georgian territory, the Russian government also supports a variety of pro-Kremlin political parties, NGOs, and propaganda efforts in the country. For example, Obiektivi TV, a media outlet, reportedly relied on Russian funding in its support of the ultra-nationalistic Alliance of Patriots political party. 428 Obiektivi’s xenophobic, homophobic, and anti-western narrative helped the Alliance of Patriots clear the threshold to enter parliament during the October 2016 election. 429 Russian propaganda in Georgia borders on the bizarre. For example, Russian propaganda asserts that the United States uses the Richard Lugar Public Health Research Center to carryout biological tests on the VerDate Mar 15 2010 04:06 Jan 09, 2018 Jkt PO 00000 Frm 00080 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 S:\FULL COMMITTEE\HEARING FILES\COMMITTEE PRINT 2018\HENRY\JAN. 9 REPORT FOREI-42327 with DISTILLER 75 Embassy of Georgia, Information Provided in Response to Questions from US. Senator Ben Cardin, Aug. 29, 2017. 431 Ibid. 432 European Commission, Trade Policy, Countries and Regions Georgia http://ec.europa.eu/ trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/georgia (visited Dec. 31, 2017); European Commission, ‘‘EU-Georgia Association Agreement Fully Enters Into Force July 1, 2016. European Commission, Commission Progress Report Georgia Meets Criteria for Visa Liberalisation Dec. 18, 2015. North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Relations with Georgia Aug. 23, 2017. The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $63 million for Georgia in this account for FY. Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2018, SS. Rept. 115-153, at 51. The legislation awaits consideration by the full Senate. Georgian population. 430 According to the Georgian government, several pro-Russian groups are active in the country, including the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies and Russkiy Mir Foundation, two well-known institutions that the Kremlin uses to exert its influence abroad (see Chapter Despite these ongoing pressures, Georgia completed an Association Agreement and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the EU in June 2014, both important steps in the integration process. 432 In addition, the country was granted visa-free travel by the EU in December And at NATO’s 2014 summit in Wales, the Alliance approved a Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP), which includes defense capacity building, training, exercises, strengthened liaison, and opportunities to develop interoper- ability with Allied forces.’’ 434 Cooperation in this area was given a significant boost at the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales, where Allied leaders endorsed a Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP), including defense capacity building, training, exercises, strengthened liaison, and opportunities to develop interoperability with Allied forces. These measures aim to strengthen Georgia’s ability to defend itself as well as to advance its preparations towards NATO membership. The United States has also provided substantial assistance to Georgia since the Russian invasion in 2008, though the Trump Administration has requested sharp cuts in funding. Georgia received $47.5 million through the Assistance to Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia Account in FY for FY, the Administration requested only $28 million. 435 Download 0.63 Mb. Share with your friends:
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