The United States said it has slapped fresh sanctions on Russia-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, for undermining Georgia's democracy for the "benefit of the Russian Federation."
"Under Ivanishvili's leadership, Georgian Dream has advanced the interests of the Kremlin by derailing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory -- in direct contradiction to what was envisioned by the Georgian people and the Georgian Constitution," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on December 27.
Blinken added that "Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream's actions have eroded democratic institutions, enabled human rights abuses, and curbed the exercise of fundamental freedoms in Georgia."
SEE ALSO: Rights Watchdog Calls For Accountability For 'Brutal' Violence Against Georgian Protesters"We strongly condemn Georgian Dream's actions under Ivanishvili's leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures."
The new measures will block transactions involving entities owned by Ivanishvili, the statement said.
According to Bloomberg News, Ivanishvili's fortune is estimated at $7.5 billion, much of it coming through metals, banking, and telecom assets in Russia during the 1990s.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the U.S. action "blackmail" and said it was Ivanishvili's "reward" for protecting Georgia's national interest.
However, opposition leader Giorgi Vashadze of the Unity National Movement hailed the U.S. decision, according to Georgia's Interpress news agency.
"I welcome this step from the United States and believe that we are quickly moving toward victory and will celebrate Georgia without Ivanishvili, who is the bringer of chaos and misery to this country," he was quoted as saying.
In a previous action, the United States on December 12 said it would "prohibit visa issuance to those who are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Georgia."
That move affected some 20 people, "including individuals serving as government ministers and in parliament, law enforcement and security officials, and private citizens," it said in a statement, without naming the individuals.
Georgia, once a closer U.S. ally, has angered Washington and the European Union with its perceived tilt toward Russia and its violent crackdown on dissent in the Caucasus nation.
The sanctions come at a crucial time, as Georgia's fate hangs in the balance -- whether it will intensify its tilt toward Moscow, return to the pro-Europe path, or remain in an environment of unrest and uncertainty.
Police in Tbilisi have clashed with pro-West protesters over the past several weeks, detaining dozens and injuring scores of people who accuse the government of the Georgian Dream party of moving the country away from the European Union and closer to Moscow.
The political crisis erupted after Georgian Dream claimed victory in October parliamentary elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said was marred by instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation.
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What's Next For Georgia's Presidential Crisis As Inauguration Day Nears
The rallies intensified after a government decision last month to delay negotiations on Georgia joining the EU.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) on December 24 called for Georgian security forces to be investigated for the “brutal police violence” against largely peaceful protesters who have taken to the streets for huge anti-government demonstrations.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili – who has spilt with the government and backed the protesters -- on December 22 called on Georgian Dream to set a date for new parliamentary elections by December 29.
"Next week at this time I will be president," Zurabishvili restated on December 27.
U.S. Republican House member Joe Wilson wrote on X that he welcomed the new sanctions and added that he had invited Zurabishvili -- "as the only legitimate leader in Georgia" -- to Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20
"I am in awe of her courage in the face of the assault by Ivanishvili and his friends" in China and Iran, Wilson added, without mentioning Russia.
Earlier this month, an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream chose Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former soccer player and right-wing populist, as Georgia's next president.
His inauguration is supposed to take place on December 29, though the 72-year-old Zurabishvili, whose term ends this year, has said she will not step down, setting up a potentially explosive showdown.
Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law pushed through parliament by Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012.