U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan on Monday was asked about the restoration of flights between Russia and Georgia.

She said, “The question is  Why is Putin giving this “gift” to Georgia now? I think most Georgians would be much happier to have Putin withdraw Russian forces from Abkhazia and Tskhinvali,“.

“We have been working to try to set up direct flights between the United States and Georgia for several years. This is a commercial decision that airlines need to agree to. We, of course, will be very supportive of this, and I think the government of Georgia will be as well.

I understand why Georgians have some concerns about the restoration of direct flights between Moscow and Georgia. Again, I think the question there is Why is Putin giving this “gift” to Georgia now? I think most Georgians would be much happier to have Putin withdraw Russian forces from Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, fulfill Russia’s obligations under the ceasefire agreement, and reverse recognition of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali. That would be a real gesture that would be meaningful to Georgians.

Putin does not give anything for free; so, I think it is very important to question why is he giving this instead of something that would be truly meaningful to Georgia, which would be to reverse recognition of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali and fulfill Russia’s obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement,” Ambassador noted.

Kelly Degnan spoke about the difference between today and 2019 when the U.S. was supporting the restoration of Russian flights to Georgia.

“I have not seen the information about which airlines they have approved to come in. It is important to determine if they are sanctioned airlines. There are also safety considerations. If these are sanctioned aircraft that don’t have the parts or have not been properly maintained – those are legitimate safety concerns that have to be taken into consideration.

The difference between now and 2019 is that Russia has invaded Ukraine further since Crimea, and has launched a brutal, bloody war against Ukrainian citizens, against children, schools, hospitals, and apartment buildings. This is an unprecedented invasion by Russia of a neighbor in an effort to eliminate Ukrainians of their identity and sovereignty. That is a major development since 2019. Why anyone would welcome a gesture, a gift from a country that is a brutal aggressor, I don’t know. I think that is a very important question to ask,” she added.