US imposes sanctions on Georgian ex-PM billionaire Ivanishvili over pro-Russia stance

The United States has imposed Friday sanctions on Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and widely regarded as the de facto leader of Georgia. The move comes amid growing concerns that Georgia, under his Georgian Dream party has shifted towards authoritarianism and pro-Russian direction in recent months.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the sanctions were imposed due to Ivanishvili’s actions, which were seen as undermining Georgia’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations in favour of the Russian Federation.

Blinken further said that Ivanishvili had engaged in actions or policies that undermined democratic processes or institutions in Georgia and internationally to benefit the Russian government.

Ivanishvili, who made billions in Russia in metals and telecoms in the 1990s, has spearheaded a rapid turn away from the West in the EU candidate country, publicly accusing foreign intelligence agencies of seeking to drive Georgia into war with Russia.

The sanctions mark the culmination of years of souring relations between the West and Georgia, which had been seen as among the most democratic, pro-Western countries of the former Soviet Union.

Georgian Dream, which is dominated by Ivanishvili, says it is committed to a democratic and pro-Western Georgia while also maintaining pragmatic ties with neighbouring Russia. But last month it froze EU talks until 2028, abruptly halting a longstanding national goal written into its constitution.

The freeze kick-started a month of protests and a crackdown that has seen more than 400 people, including high-profile opposition politicians, detained.

The U.S. on Dec. 18 sanctioned several senior Georgian interior ministry officials who it accused of complicity in the crackdown on protesters.

The sanctions mean any of Ivanishvili’s U.S. assets are frozen. Ivanishvili and his allies in government have repeatedly said in recent years that the billionaire was already under “de facto sanctions” by the U.S., something Washington had denied.

Georgian Dream did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new sanctions.

Ivanishvili has this year championed laws regulating “foreign agents” and LGBT rights that critics say are draconian in nature and Russian in inspiration.

Russia ruled Georgia for around 200 years until 1991, and polls show Georgians broadly dislike their vast neighbour, which continues to back two breakaway Georgian regions.

Russia and Georgia have had no formal diplomatic relations since Moscow defeated Tbilisi in a five-day war in 2008. Russia has said it does not interfere in Georgia.

The upheavals of recent weeks follow a disputed election in October, in which official results gave Georgian Dream almost 54% of the vote, but which opposition parties have said was tainted with fraud and illegitimate.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, a critic of Georgian Dream in the mostly ceremonial role, has said she does not recognise the election results and will not leave office when her term ends later this month.

Her successor, Mikheil Kavelashvili, elected by Georgian Dream lawmakers, is due to be inaugurated on Sunday.

Georgian Dream said it expects relations with the U.S. to improve under the new term of President-elect Donald Trump.

With inputs from agencies.