US says ready to impose sanctions over protests in Georgia

The US authorities are ready to impose additional sanctions in connection with the ongoing protests in Georgia. This was announced by the American Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on December 4.

"The United States stands in solidarity with the people of Georgia and their democratic aspirations. [We] are preparing now to deploy the tools at our disposal, including additional sanctions," the text of the statement released reads.

Blinken also emphasized that the U.S. "strongly condemns the brutal and unjustified violence of the Georgian Dream party against Georgian citizens." He noted that Washington is concerned about reports of injuries to protesters.

Street against the dream: what is happening on the Georgian Maidan

Opposition revolts for almost a week, authorities refuse re-elections

Protests have been going on in Georgia for several days over the suspension of European integration talks and the opposition's disagreement with the results of parliamentary elections. The country's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze made a statement the day before that another attempt to organize a revolution in the country based on the scenario of the Ukrainian Maidan had failed.

Georgian security forces were forced to use tear gas to disperse demonstrators in the center of Tbilisi. On November 30, protesters tried to set fire to the Georgian parliament building and damaged dozens of offices.

Amid these events, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili refused to step down when her term expires at the end of December. In response, Kobakhidze warned that she would be required by law to leave office.