On July 5, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the indefinite postponement of the Noble Partner military exercises, originally scheduled to take place in Georgia from July 25 to August 6. This announcement follows a comprehensive reassessment of U.S.-Georgian bilateral relations that began on May 30.

The U.S. cited several reasons for the postponement, emphasizing the strain in relations due to allegations made by the Georgian government. The charges include allegations that the U.S. pressured Georgia to open a second front against Russia to take the pressure off Ukraine and that it participated in two attempts to overthrow the Georgian ruling party. The U.S. government deemed the current climate inappropriate for conducting a large-scale military exercise such as Noble Partner, stating, "This is an inappropriate time to conduct a large-scale military exercise in Georgia."

Despite the postponement, the U.S. reaffirmed its commitment to continued cooperation with the Georgian armed forces. The goal is to enhance Georgia's ability to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The U.S. Department of Defense expressed that this decision was not taken lightly and emphasized the significant value of international cooperation in such exercises. Looking ahead, the U.S. remains optimistic about future cooperation, including the AGILE SPIRIT exercises scheduled for 2025.

In response to the U.S. announcement, the Georgian Ministry of Defense expressed regret, but noted that cooperation in other formats, such as the AGILE SPIRIT exercises, will continue.

The MoD statement reads: "The United States of America and Georgia have a decades-long defense partnership based on the common interests and goals of our countries.

We regret the announcement by the United States Department of Defense to indefinitely postpone the Worthy Partner 2024 multinational exercise.
International exercises, including "Worthy Partner 2024", are beneficial for both Georgia and the United States of America, as well as for the partner countries participating in them, as they contribute to strengthening defense capabilities, developing the skills of military personnel, increasing professionalism, and enhancing interoperability.

The US Department of Defense and the Ministry of Defense of Georgia have mutually beneficial formats of cooperation in the field of defense and security. Despite the postponement of the training, the aforementioned formats continue, including preparations for the multinational training "Agile Spirit 2025".

U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Robin Dunnigan argued that the decision is certainly unfortunate, but not incomprehensible, as the Secretary of State has clearly stated that bilateral relations with Georgia are under review. She also stated that the aforementioned exercises were canceled because of public statements made by certain individuals, including members of the ruling party, and that is why the relationship is being reviewed. Nevertheless, there is hope that bilateral relations will be balanced.