UK limits ties with Georgia after crackdown on anti-government protests

Lammy stated that the UK will immediately halt programmatic support for the Georgian government, restrict defense cooperation, and limit interactions with representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

He condemned the Georgian government’s use of violence against protesters and journalists, calling it "unacceptable and something that must stop." Lammy also noted that recent events in Georgia contradict the country’s constitutional commitment to a European future.

At the same time, Lammy emphasized that the UK will continue to support the Georgian people.

Protests in Georgia against abandoning European integration

The decision follows significant unrest in Georgia sparked by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s Nov. 28 announcement that the country would suspend talks on European Union membership until 2028. The announcement reignited protests in Tbilisi’s Parliament Square against the ruling government’s policies.

On the night of Nov. 30, tens of thousands gathered in Tbilisi and other cities. Protesters smashed windows at the Parliament building, launched fireworks inside, and started a small fire. They also burned an effigy of Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the Georgian Dream party, outside the building.

Police responded with force, dispersing the demonstrators through the night. On Dec. 7, law enforcement again used water cannons and tear gas to break up protests. For the first time in three days, riot police actively engaged to suppress the anti-government demonstration.

During the protests, unidentified masked individuals attacked a TV Pirveli news crew near Rustaveli Avenue, seizing the cameraman’s equipment.

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that 402 people have been detained over 11 days of protests. More than 30 individuals face criminal charges, while 372 were detained for administrative violations.