EU Suspends Assistance to Georgia in Combating Russian Disinformation, Citing Use of Disinformation by Georgian Authorities
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
On October 21, Peter Stano, the European Union's Foreign and Security Policy Lead Spokesperson, addressed the halt in EU assistance to Georgia for combating Russian disinformation. Stano explained that the support was suspended after Georgian authorities began using disinformation against the European Union itself. He discussed the matter during a briefing about the presidential election and referendum results in Moldova, where the EU suspects Russian interference.
When asked if the EU was providing Georgia with the same level of assistance as it does to Moldova in the fight against Russian disinformation, Stano replied: "Our support to Georgia has been multi-faceted, and we were working with partners in Georgia, especially with the government, quite intensively on many issues."
However, he noted that relations had taken a "different turn" when the Georgian government began to use disinformation against the EU. "The Georgian authorities started to use disinformation against the European Union and that's why our relationship took a slightly different turn," he said.
Stano further explained that the situation has been widely discussed by EU foreign ministers and leaders this year. He added, "There is no dedicated EU mission helping Georgia to increase its resilience to fight foreign interference and disinformation, because unfortunately in this case, the disinformation comes also from the official side, from the governing authorities."
Despite this, the EU is still assisting Georgia through its European Union Monitoring Mission, which focuses on the situation in the occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali. Stano expressed hope for future cooperation, saying, "It will be possible to resume the full-fledged cooperation with Georgian authorities if the upcoming elections will be free, fair, and according to international and European standards."
