“We welcome that the new U.S. administration has not only exposed harmful practices but has also begun mitigating risks, recognizing that foreign influence requires transparency,” stated Shalva Papuashvili, Chairman of the Georgian Parliament.

Papuashvili commented on Donald Trump’s executive order regarding the transparency of foreign influence in American universities.

“The Romans were wise people, and I have repeated their sayings many times – “Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi,” which means “Gods may do what cattle may not.” This is how geopolitics works, with disparities between large and small. What some want for themselves, they are reluctant to grant others. Moscow and other capitals have been reluctant to grant us certain things, but we must look after ourselves. We withstood that pressure then.

The most interesting thing is that it has the same name – ‘transparency of foreign influence’ – in this case, specifically at higher education institutions. Even terminologically, it’s identical to our law on Transparency of Foreign Influence.

In 2023, the Biden administration’s ambassador, Kelly Degnan, was the first to call this Georgian law a ‘Russian law.’ She first said it, she invented this term, and now from the new administration, we know how these schemes operate, how USAID, NED, and other funders were involved, how they give directives to their funded NGOs to undermine democracy in other countries, how they control the media.

Additionally, recent information has emerged regarding an American organisation called Internews, which controlled thousands of media outlets to disseminate propaganda aligned with its funders’ agendas. This suggests that the former U.S. ambassador contributed to creating a misleading narrative at the time, claiming it was based on the ‘intelligence services handbook.’

Indeed, the hybrid warfare tactics we witnessed in 2023 resembled a scenario straight from an intelligence services handbook. The then-U.S. ambassador was the source of absolutely false accusations, first stigmatizing the draft law, then funding a violent attack on parliament through USAID or other such organisations that the American government now calls fraudulent.

Remember that for the first time in Georgia’s history, someone threw a Molotov cocktail at a person, attempting to burn a police officer alive. Two years have passed since 2023, and not a single outspoken diplomat has condemned the throwing of Molotov cocktails – quite the opposite. Grigoriadis, the person who committed this crime and who tried to burn someone alive, was almost declared a hero. Let me remind you that the EU-funded organization Sirtskhvilia (Shame), besides portraying this criminal as a hero, also declared throwing Molotov cocktails as an acceptable instrument of political struggle. This was funded from the European Union budget. After this, not only did no one express concern or condemn the attack on police, or apologize for funding it, but quite the contrary.

In 2023, Molotov cocktails were employed during protests in Georgia for the first time, brandished by radical opposition groups and NGOs claiming to support pro-European ideals. However, when such violence is introduced at pro-European rallies, those waving EU passports should reflect on the representation of EU values they are projecting. By equating Molotov cocktails with European ideals, what message does this send to the Georgian people about their commitment to democracy and peace?

The lack of condemnation for these actions resulted in December’s single Molotov cocktail escalating to ten. Surprisingly, no prominent diplomats, who frequently comment on various issues involving Georgian politicians, spoke out against this violence. Why is that? Perhaps it is so that the next time we see a protest, one Molotov cocktail escalates to thirty.

Allow me to remind you that, just as police officers were injured during previous protests, they faced similar violence this time around—one officer even lost his sight. Yet, not a single prominent diplomat took the time to visit this officer or express concern for his well-being. The rallies were organized by individuals funded by these diplomats, with participants receiving salaries from them. Their silence on this matter speaks volumes. It’s clear where their priorities lie.

We are glad that the new administration has not only exposed and acknowledged the harmful practices through which American money was spent in other countries to undermine others, but has also begun to mitigate the risks we have been talking about for so many years – that foreign influence needs transparency,” Papuashvili stated.

According to Papuashvili, some diplomats and foreign politicians should apologize to the Georgian people for the false propaganda campaign waged against Georgia.

“Just as Trump came out and said that a woman is a woman and a man is a man, putting an end to the entire propaganda line that had been built for years claiming that gender is optional and dependent on taste. I am confident that now, with this act stating that transparency of foreign influence is important, including these assessments that if you have nothing to hide, why not disclose it, they are repeating our approaches exactly.

“I believe this settles the matter. Now it’s time for those who launched Molotov cocktails and torches to step forward and provide their explanations. I also think some diplomats and foreign politicians owe an apology to the Georgian people for the misleading propaganda that has been disseminated against our country,” Papuashvili stated.

For reference, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on transparency regarding foreign influence at American universities. According to the order, the U.S. Secretary of Education must ensure better access for the American people to information about foreign funding in higher education institutions and take appropriate measures to require universities to disclose more specific details about foreign funding, including the actual source and purpose of the funds.

US Senator Jim Risch responded to this order, stating: “We need to follow the money! If there is nothing to hide, then why the opposition? I applaud President Trump for his executive order that will force universities to disclose foreign funding.”