The Republican congressman called on the incoming administration to target the ‘axis of aggressors’

As 119th Congress Preparing for an inaugural session on January 3, a Republican congressman called on the incoming Trump administration to advance American interests and target foreign defamators.

In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina, called secretary of state nominee Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and national security adviser nominee Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla. .) has called for “prioritization. Using US law enforcement mechanisms to expose and dismantle Georgian embargo theft schemes, scam call centers and other non- Legitimate Georgian Dream Enterprises.”

Georgia’s former prime minister says country’s elections ‘rigged’ and ‘written in Moscow’

The letter follows. United States of America Georgia’s former prime minister and Russia have imposed sanctions on billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the country’s de facto ruler.

According to the congressman’s letter, these actions enable Ivanishvili’s administration to profit from atrocities such as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, “which encourages Chinese, North Korean and Iranian partnerships”.

On December 27, Ivanishvili was sanctioned by the US Treasury for “undermining Georgia’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic future for the benefit of the Russian Federation”.

Congressman Wilson, who chairs the Helsinki Commission, called the sanctions on Ivanshvili an “important step” and urged the incoming administration to extend sanctions to Ivanshvili’s close associates and relatives.

“This is an important opportunity to advance our shared goals of defending democracy and countering corrupt influence around the world. If Georgia is to return to rule by the Georgian people, the Axis of Aggressors will be a significant force.” will miss out.” – is written in the letter.

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Wilson’s letter is a continuation of a series of public protests among Georgia viewers in the United States. And Europe The highly controversial victory of Georgian Dream in October’s parliamentary elections and the government’s decision to block its accession to the European Union led to mass daily protests across the country.

Local and international election observers, including the International Republican Institute (IRI) mission, concluded that the elections were “fundamentally flawed”.

“Given what the IRI mission observed and what has happened since the election, only new elections will restore the confidence of the people of Georgia in the legitimacy of their government,” said IRI President Dan Twining. can.”

Despite domestic and international calls for new elections, the single-party parliament anointed the sole presidential candidate, former soccer player and hardline Western critic Mikheil Kavilashvili, at an inauguration ceremony on December 29, in which Foreign dignitaries and guests were conspicuously absent.

Georgian Dream officials have repeatedly ruled out the possibility of US sanctions. Minutes after the Treasury’s announcement, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze claimed – “in reality, nothing has changed”.

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Kobakhidze, as well as other party leaders, expressed hope for “positive changes” thereafter. President Trump Will assume office on January 20. However, according to Laura Linderman, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, that scenario is unlikely.

Linderman told Fox News Digital, “Given that Trump’s national security team is likely to take a tougher stance against countries aligned with China and Iran, it’s an apparent calculation by Georgian Dream that the Trump administration’s They will be treated more favorably under

Linderman also says that congressional Republicans are largely united in support of Georgia’s democratic future and that “Trump is unlikely to spend political capital challenging the bipartisan consensus on Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic path.” “.

In recent years, Ivanishvilis’ Georgian Dream government has increasingly isolated itself from the West and allied itself with authoritarian regimes. Georgia – recently – a strategic US partner has now formalized such a partnership with China, supporting Chinese companies on US investment, adopting Russian style The “foreign agents” law, and EU accession talks were suspended. Prime Minister Kubakhidze has made several visits to Iran this year alone. In Tehran, he attended both – the funeral of the late Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi and the swearing-in ceremony of new President Masoud Pizshakyan, who took the oath with chants of “Death to America, Israel”.

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James Carafano, a senior adviser at the Heritage Foundations and a leading foreign policy expert, told Fox News Digital that regimes dependent on Moscow and Beijing’s support will find that “game time is over,” adding that they cannot expect a “favorable or indifferent hand.” Trump administration.

“If U.S. interests are at stake, and some are in Georgia, governments that want to lean on Moscow are likely to get not only the cold shoulder from Trump, but perhaps the cold shoulder,” Carafano says. will hit the keypad.” .