"We expect the Georgian government to comply with the sanctions we imposed on Russia"| Exclusive Interview with Michael Carpenter

"We expect the Georgian government to comply with the sanctions we have imposed on Russia," said U.S. Ambassador to OSCE Michael Carpenter, a guest on the Mtavari Channel.

We offer an exclusive interview with Carpenter in full:

- Thank you very much for this opportunity, you have visited us many times from different positions and now you are the US representative to the OSCE, an organization in which Russia is a member, and so your views are especially interesting . We are in the second month of war and we see that Putin is not achieving his goal, he has not conquered Ukraine and now the focus is shifting to the east to Donbass and Mariupol, how much does that increase the nuclear and chemical threat and in that case what will be the reaction of the west? Biden said there would be a reaction, it is interesting what that reaction would be?

- When Russia starts talking about biological and chemical weapons, we should be careful, because before, when Moscow raised the issue, it soon used a method that it accuses others of preparing. So attention is needed. Russia lost the battle for Kyiv, retreated, brought troops back to Russia, and is now mobilizing the same troops to the east for an offensive in Donbass. This battle has already begun, and the first sign of it was the case in Kramatorsk, when the train station was bombed and over fifty people, including small children, were killed.

In Donbas, in my opinion, the fighting will now become more intense. I do not want to prejudge events, I will simply say that we will help Ukraine in every way we can. Among them will be macroeconomic support. Also, Ukraine needs immediate financial assistance, and then it will need post-conflict assistance, including to Ukraine's neighbors, because this war is having a negative impact on the whole world. For example, the fact that Russia has imposed a blockade on the Sea of Azov prevents the export of Ukrainian wheat, which leads to a crisis. It is all Russia's fault for waging this cruel and senseless war against its non-confrontational and peace-loving neighbor. This, in turn, must have serious consequences for Russia, which must last for years, if not decades.

- As you say, the Russian army has changed its strategy, moved into the Donbass after a major defeat, but the war is not stopped, in which case what should stop Russia? If the West at this point has given up on the no-fly zone, will Ukraine be given the arms to create its own no-fly zone? as it turns out after Boris Johnson's visit, Britain is handing them heavy weaponry, will this be done by the United States as well?

- The United States has been supplying Ukraine with weapons, including advanced anti-armor and anti-aircraft systems, since the beginning of the conflict. We have provided far more security assistance to Ukraine than any other country. It's about $1.7 billion, and we're going to provide more. As far as closing the skies, that's a pretty complicated issue militarily, but we will continue to give the Ukrainians the platforms that will allow them to be effective against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, artillery and aircraft. So we will give them anything that will help them defend their country.

- So when Kuleba says that we are offering the West a fair deal: You gave us the right weapons, and we will defeat Putin in Ukraine, is this agreement in effect?

- I think the Ukrainians have already proven that they have enough courage and fortitude to fight this invasion and defend their way of life and freedom. We think that Ukraine will win, and we will help them in every way we can, not only with arms, but also financially, because Ukraine needs to recover from the war. President Biden also made this clear.

- During the talks in Turkey, Ukraine demanded new security guarantees from strong states other than the Budapest Memorandum, is the U.S. ready to ensure Ukraine's security?

- I think when it comes to security guarantees, the devil is in the details. We will do everything we can to help Ukraine in these negotiations so that in the end it benefits Ukraine, not Russia. That's why we're imposing such tough sanctions against Russia.
Ukraine should have the advantage in the negotiations. As for the ultimate goal or outcome, I'm not going to speculate on the versions that have been published in the media. The only thing you need to know is that the U.S. will help Ukraine as much as possible in these negotiations.

- What does it mean that the devil is in the details and also, can Georgia come under such a security umbrella?

- As you remember, the Bucharest Summit in 2008 said that Georgia and Ukraine would become members of NATO, a goal that the people of both countries aspire to. I know that 3/4 of Georgians support the country's membership in NATO, which is higher than the number of EU candidates. As for Ukraine, there is a war going on there right now and no opinion polls have been done recently, but I think there will be similar data. It just takes time. We have no right to vote for Georgia's accession to the EU, that should be decided by the EU, and for NATO I think the door to the alliance should be left open.

- Since you have mentioned NATO now, do you think that the fate of this war and the tragic August 2008 Georgia was decided by the rejection of MAP at that summit? More recently, Alexander Stubb, former Finnish Foreign Minister and OSCE chairman during the 2008 war, said that the beginning of Putin's madness and evil was first the war against Georgia and then in Crimea. Do you think that the ignorance of the West at the time encouraged Putin to be in Ukraine today?

- I don't want to point the finger at anyone. I worked with Alexander Stubb, he was Foreign Minister when the war in Georgia was going on in 2008. I know he was saddened by the war and its consequences. I think Russia didn't pay enough back then because of that aggression, and that's the main reason why Putin failed to calculate the results this time. President Biden warned him from the beginning that an invasion of Ukraine would have serious, unprecedented consequences. Putin chose to ignore this, and it brought him a strategic setback. Generally speaking, when a state violates such fundamental principles as the territorial integrity and sovereignty of another country, it should have the gravest consequences. Otherwise, we send the wrong message to such states.

- If we go back to the war of 2008, to Russian disinformation, in our case Putin was trying to win the war against Georgia with his propaganda. Who started the war? That's how the campaign started. It worked then both in Georgia and in some circles in the West, or vice versa, those who did not want to leave their comfort zone in the West used this propaganda to their advantage. And now everything has become clear....

- In my opinion, everything is quite clear and has always been so. There were many provocations leading up to the August 2008 war: military exercises and thousands of soldiers near the border with Georgia. Earlier we saw the repairing of the railroad from Ochamchire to the border with Russia and in April 2008 a Georgian unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down over Abkhazia. I remember it well because I was in Abkhazia with the UN delegation at the time. So, we all know that everything was done then to trap Georgia. In Ukraine, on the other hand, there was aggression that particularly shocked and outraged the world.

- And this war was really a test for the whole world, who really stands where, determines who is on the side of civilization and progress, and who supports Russian fascists, evil, as the Georgian government is positioning itself today in the eyes of its partners?

- I think it is important for Georgia to continue to stand on the side of Ukraine and not to deviate from the Euro-Atlantic path. This, of course, is for the people to decide, and the government needs to speak out, to implement reforms, to support Ukraine's sovereignty, and simply to express a clear opinion on the current situation.

- The Ukrainian side suspects that the "Dream" does not interfere with smuggling. If this is proven, how risky can it be for our country?

- Sanctions circumvention is a very serious matter, and we always encourage our partners and allies to avoid it. I know that the National Bank of Georgia and other institutions are doing their best to comply with EU and U.S. sanctions. This is very important because Russia will do everything in its power to circumvent sanctions, and we call on all of our allies to prevent that from happening.

- We see that the unprecedented Western sanctions against individuals, the reversal of democracy, the three most difficult elections, the political prisoners, will this not be a reason for personal sanctions, for Ivanishvili's entourage?

- The U.S. has now turned its full attention to Ukraine, and this is reflected not only in the sanctions imposed on Putin's entourage, but also in the fact that Russia must suffer such serious economic consequences, the likes of which it has never experienced before. The complete blockade of Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, is a case in point, as are sanctions on other important institutions. I will not prejudge events now, nor will I speculate on what sanctions may be imposed on other countries. Of course, the focus on Ukraine does not mean that Washington is not paying attention to other regions, but we now expect the government of Georgia to respect and comply with the sanctions we have imposed on Russia.

- Georgia's third president is a prisoner, a hostage of Ivanishvili and Putin, he is not even given the right to medical treatment, in this situation how possible is European integration for our country?

- It is very important for Georgia to adhere to all norms of treatment of prisoners and accused persons, as well as to protect the rule of law as much as possible. This is important for the EU and the USA. The rule of law is the number one issue when it comes to the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of a country. Of course, we will continue talks with the Georgian government on this issue.

- Finally, to conclude our conversation, would you like to address the Georgian people and have a message for the Dream government?

- This is a moment in world history when a barbaric regime is carrying out a barbaric attack on a democratic country and it is time for the entire democratic world to unite, to adhere to its principles and condemn what is happening in Ukraine. This is not just a war between two countries, this is a fight for principles, a fight for the existence of democracy and for the inviolability of the borders of a democratic country. We are seeing unprecedented unity, and this unity must be maintained. This is a moment when the entire international community is being tested.