Russia’s war economy continues to survive in part due to transit routes and financial loopholes in countries not officially under Western sanctions. One such enabler is Georgia under the Georgian Dream (GD) regime, which has facilitated sanctions evasion through trade, banking, and energy corridors, allowing Moscow to bypass Western pressure and prolong the war in Ukraine. The same regime that once positioned Georgia as a beacon of democracy and a steadfast ally of the United States in the South Caucasus is now actively drifting toward the camp of America’s adversaries.

Through repressive measures, mass detentions, and the passage of legislation designed to ban pro-Western political parties and sideline opposition figures, the GD regime seeks to consolidate control while portraying itself as the guardian of “national sovereignty.” In practice, these actions represent the systematic dismantling of pluralism and the establishment of a one-party state under the pretence of rooting out so-called “foreign agents.”

As of mid-October, more than a hundred opposition activists, journalists, and demonstrators have been arrested, making Georgia one of the countries with the highest number of political prisoners per capita in Europe, surpassing even Russia. The Constitutional Court, already under the influence of the ruling party, is expected to validate these draconian laws, erasing what remains of democratic representation and cementing Georgia’s slide into authoritarianism.

What is unfolding in Georgia is not a local political crisis but a deliberate geopolitical realignment—an erosion of a former democratic ally that now enables Russia’s war machine and undermines US strategic interests at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

Since its independence, Georgia has been crucial in ensuring that Washington’s strategy in the South Caucasus is executed smoothly, and in that framework, Georgia has always been considered a democratic, pro-Western ally for US influence, energy diversification, and regional security framework. However, now that foundation has eroded.

Under the Georgian Dream regime, anti-Western and specifically anti-American rhetoric has become official policy. Senior figures, including the head of Georgia’s State Security Service, have accused the United States........

© The National Interest