MPs’ movement calls on US Ambassador to “deny or confirm" Ukrainian diplomat’s statements on arms exchange

People's Power, a public movement established by former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Wednesday called on the United States’ Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan to deny or confirm Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Kasyanov’s claims on an arms exchange request between his country, the US and Georgia.

The statement followed an article by Kasyanov, the charge d'affaires of Ukraine to Georgia, which on Monday said Ukrainian authorities had agreed with Washington a swap that would see Georgia hand over the US-made Javelin anti-tank systems purchased for Georgian Defence Forces over the recent years to Ukraine, to aid its defence from the ongoing Russian invasion, and receive newer systems from the US in return. Kasyanov also said the Georgian side had rejected the deal.

The response from the movement said Kasyanov’s comments represented a “very specific and clear accusation” against the United States in relation to what they called “Georgia's involvement” in the conflict in Ukraine.

“For months, we have been asking the American Embassy and the Ambassador to clearly distance themselves from the interests of involving Georgia into the war, but unfortunately, this has not happened”, the statement said.

We ask the Ambassador to come out now and deny or confirm the statement of the representative of Ukraine, and thus provide information to both the Georgian and the international communities [around the matter]”, the MPs added.

The statement of the organisation also said in case Degnan refused to respond to the call, “the public will assume that silence is a sign of confirmation”.

The call comes following a series of controversies between the US Embassy and the MPs’ movement, with the latter accusing the diplomatic office of interfering in Georgia’s judiciary and criticising her comments on violations during the 2020 Parliamentary elections in the country, among other reactions.