WASHINGTON

The United States announced on Friday that it had postponed a military exercise planned for the end of this month in the Caucasus state of Georgia “indefinitely.” The reason for this was a tense relationship between the two countries due to a controversial draft law on “foreign influence.”

“The United States has initiated a comprehensive review of the bilateral relationship between the United States and Georgia. As part of that review, the United States will indefinitely postpone this iteration of exercise NOBLE PARTNER in Georgia, originally scheduled for July 25-August 6, 2024,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

The statement said the decision was made based on Georgia's “false accusations” that the US and other Western powers were trying to “push Georgia to open a second front against Russia to reduce pressure on Ukraine and that it was involved in two coup attempts against the ruling party.”

The US has concluded that this is an inappropriate time for a large-scale military exercise in Georgia, the letter said. Washington will continue to cooperate with the Georgian armed forces to protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The U.S. State Department imposed visa restrictions on dozens of Georgian officials last month in response to the passage of a “foreign agent” law after lawmakers overrode a presidential veto.

The controversial law requires organizations, including media outlets, that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register with the state and publish annual financial reports.

The bill was first introduced in 2023 but was put on hold after it sparked mass protests that led to the arrest of 66 people and the injury of more than 50 police officers. However, it was reintroduced to parliament in April this year, reigniting protests.

Critics claim the law would undermine democracy and call it “Russian law.” However, members of the ruling majority argue that it would increase transparency.

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