WASHINGTON: The Un­i­ted States has indefinitely postponed large-scale military exercises with Georgia amid strained relations with Tbilisi, the Pentagon announced on Friday.

The United States “will indefinitely postpone this iteration of exercise Noble Partner in Georgia” scheduled for July 25-Aug 6, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The decision was made due to “the Georgian government’s false accusations” that the United States was pressuring Tbilisi “to open a second front against Russia to alleviate pressure on Ukraine, and of participating in two coup attempts against the ruling party”.

“As such, the United States government has determined that this is an inappropriate time to hold a large-scale military exercise in Georgia,” the statement said.

It comes amid a cooling of relations with Tbilisi after it pushed forward a Russian-style “foreign influence” law that critics said is meant to stifle opposition groups and which triggered mass protests.

The United States imposed visa restrictions in May on “individuals who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2024