One of the important features that we see in Georgia is that the Georgian people remain in favor of NATO, the European Union, and the United States. The problem is the government, the problem is the Georgian Dream, the problem is the oligarch, Bidzina Ivanishvili, who manages the processes from behind the scenes. I don't like to say it at all, but I think it's time to impose sanctions not against the country, but targeted, individual sanctions, David Kramer, a former senior official of the United States Department of State, said while speaking to the Georgian Service of Voice of America.

According to the former senior official, the Government of Georgia and the party in power are bringing Georgia closer to Moscow and are attacking the United States.

"I think it's time to say “enough is enough," says Kramer.

As Kramer says, Georgian Dre­am does not miss any opportunity to protect Bidzina Ivanishvili. In addition, according to him, Ivanishvili is a person who manages events and he has people who follow his orders.

"The Chairman of Parliament protects him from my comments. We see that Bidzina Ivanishvili is protected by other MPs. We see that the Prime Minister is protecting him and recently he even wrote to the European Parliament about Ivanishvili. As far as I know, Bidzina Ivanishvili has no position, neither in the Government nor in Georgian Dre­am. Nevertheless, Georgian Dre­am does not miss the opportunity to protect him. From this we can conclude that he is a person who manages events and he has people who follow his orders," said Kramer.

In the same interview, a former senior official of the Department of State says that official Tbilisi's rhetoric is increasingly anti-American and does not correspond to the behavior of the partner country. David Kramer responded to the ruling party member Irakli Zarkua's statement regarding Senator Shaheen, saying that similar remarks on the leading US senator are "not exactly a friendly gesture".

“In my opinion, the situation is becoming more and more serious and it is moving in an increasingly anti-American direction. This has been the case for a long time, but the rhetoric coming from Tbilisi is getting worse. In essence, these are attacks on the United States," Kramer said.

*The quotes in the article have been double-translated from Georgian and wordings may be inaccurate.

source: IPN