Gia Volski: Marta Kos’s statement is manipulative – cooperation with MAGA does not mean abandoning European standards

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos’s statement is “manipulative,” Georgian Parliament First Deputy Speaker Gia Volsky said.

Volsky commented on Kos’s statement that countries seeking to join the European Union “must cut ties with Donald Trump’s MAGA movement” to join the EU.

“Having cooperation and relations with MAGA does not mean that you are failing to uphold European standards. If you adopt a law for the purpose of transparency, that does not mean you are opposing European standards. Marta Kos uses many issues in such a way that it amounts to political immorality,” Volsky said.

According to Volsky, Georgia is an independent state with sufficient resources to pursue its own interests.

“The reality is different — Georgia is an independent state that has enough resources to ensure that no one can use it. If you cooperate with the US administration, have strategic cooperation with China and maintain relations with Europe that suit you, it does not mean that you serve some ideology, whether you have relations with MAGA or with China. You serve your own country,” he said.

Volsky accused what he described as an effort to prevent Georgia from developing relations with different partners.

“There is an attempt to leave you with no means to develop relations and save your country. They act according to their own interests with America and prohibit others from taking any steps. Their interest is that if you take a step they have not authorized, they will use it as a basis to attack you and promote extremist processes here. They know all of this very well themselves,” Volsky said.

He added that countries that do not follow what he described as the EU’s interests could become targets of criticism from Kos.

“Those who do not follow their interests may become targets of Marta Kos’s attacks. Not long ago, Borrell said that the EU is an oasis and the rest is a jungle,” Volsky said, referring to former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

“Some believe that the long-term interest is for a new EU member to have neither a decisive vote nor a consultative vote. That interest has no chance of being realized, because Europe will save itself from the unfortunate system of governance that does not take the interests of other countries into account,” he said.

“What do they have against small Georgia? The only interest is to use us as cannon fodder,” Volsky added.