The US ambassador to Georgia, Kelly Degnan, in an interview with Georgian Interpressnews agency, published on February 9, talked about the ongoing war in Ukraine and Georgia's compliance with the international sanctions imposed on Russia, the ruling party's rhetoric about "attempts to open a second front" in Georgia, and the resumption of flights between Russia and Georgia. She also spoke about the implementation of 12 recommendations of the European Commission, the health condition of Mikheil Saakashvili, and the restrictions imposed by the Parliament on the media.

Speaking about the ongoing war in Ukraine, Kelly Degnan said that under the conditions of Russia's occupation of 20% of Georgia's territory, the partners always understood the position of the country's government and that the humanitarian aid provided to Ukraine by the Georgian population and authorities is important.

According to her, Georgia has been complying with the international financial sanctions imposed on Russia from the beginning, and she does not have any evidence to the contrary. The US ambassador also drew attention to the incoming and outgoing cargoes in Georgia and said that it is impossible to prove anything 100%; however, many years of work with the customs service and the border police showed that they “know what they are doing and they are doing the best they can, in this situation.”

In the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Degnan once again responded to the statements of the representatives of Georgia’s ruling party about the "attempt to open a second front" in Georgia and emphasized that the Georgian government "knows very well" that there has never been any pressure in this direction from the Western partners. "We have never pressured the Georgian authorities to impose bilateral sanctions or do anything else," Degnan said.

Ambassador Degnan emphasized that "misinformation" of similar content is spread by those trying to confuse Georgians, further dividing the country and undermining the long-term partnership between the USA and Georgia. "We want to help Georgia protect its identity, just as we are trying to help Ukraine," she added.

Speaking about the possible restoration of air traffic between Georgia and Russia, Ambassador Degnan emphasized that Russia is "an isolated country. Nobody aspires to get closer to Russia now." She also noted that it took many years for Georgia to reduce its dependence on Russia in various directions, and it has achieved good progress in this regard.

According to her, the US is working with other friends to help Georgia further reduce its dependence on Russia because Russia uses it to weaken the countries. The ambassador said, “This is not a situation that Georgia or any other country would like to be in.”

Speaking about the implementation of the 12 recommendations given by the European Commission to Georgia to obtain the status of a candidate country for EU membership, Ambassador Degnan emphasized that this order came from the Georgian people, who clearly stated that their choice is "the European future." Thus, she pointed out that the leaders should work on implementing the requested reforms as it would benefit all greatly.

The US ambassador also noted that the people of Georgia have been making efforts to integrate with the European family for decades, if not centuries, and some progress has been made, although the EU says that more work is needed.

According to her, this is not only a process of formally fulfilling obligations but also a process to show the European Union and the Georgian people that the authorities and Georgian leaders are responsible for Georgia's democratic reforms, Georgia's strong democracy, and democratic institutions. EU member states expect this.

Ambassador Degnan also explained that everyone who wants to be a member of the European family must share the same responsibilities, values, and principles. Therefore, she emphasized that this process needs more unity, more inclusive processes, and involvement of interested parties, which shows that a united Georgia is working for the candidate status, not a divided one. "This will be a very strong message not only for the European Union but also for the Georgian people," Degnan argued.