海角大神

Salome Zourabichvili has a message tailored to the 鈥淎merica First鈥� Washington of President Donald Trump.

The fifth president of Georgia 鈥� a small country of only 3.7 million people, yet strategically placed along the Black Sea in Central Europe鈥檚 Caucasus region 鈥� is the de facto standard-bearer of Georgia鈥檚 grassroots opposition movement. She says her homeland鈥檚 democracy and Western values are under threat. But that鈥檚 not why the United States should care. Instead, Ms. Zourabichvili points to the U.S. interests at stake in a region that in recent years has shifted in favor of Russia, China, and even Iran.

鈥淒emocracy is for us to defend; that鈥檚 the work of the people who are on our streets every day,鈥� she told a gathering of journalists organized by the Monitor in Washington Wednesday morning. 鈥淏ut if we鈥檙e talking about a strong America, a strong America starts in this very strategic region鈥� encompassing the Caucasus and the Black Sea.

Noting that 鈥淲e are already a very strategic region to Russia,鈥� she adds that it would be 鈥渁 very major retreat for America鈥� to cede influence to Moscow and an increasingly engaged Beijing.

Ms. Zourabichvili refused to step down this past December when Mikheil Kavelashvili was inaugurated as Georgia鈥檚 new president after elections that many Georgians and most Western countries dismissed as fraudulent.

Calling herself Georgia鈥檚 鈥渙nly legitimate president,鈥� Ms. Zourabichvili has spent recent weeks bucking up an opposition movement that has spread beyond the capital, Tbilisi, to dozens of smaller cities and towns.

But she is also touring European capitals and now Washington, warning that without a strong and united response from Western powers, Russia and China will extend their dominance westward.

When introduced to then-President-elect Trump at the official reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris in December, 鈥淚 told [him] that this is a strategic region that cannot be forgotten by the United States,鈥� she says, adding that she got the impression her point was received with interest. Noting that Mr. Trump has been to Georgia and indicated to her that he enjoyed being in her country, she adds of the encounter, 鈥淭his was not an abstract moment; [he] can be considered a friend of Georgia.鈥�

Ms. Zourabichvili says she shared the same message with Secretary of State Marco Rubio when she met him briefly at one of several inaugural events she attended 鈥� including Monday鈥檚 inauguration at the U.S. capital 鈥� at the invitation of Republican Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina.

To what extent Washington鈥檚 new powers will incorporate the Black Sea and Caucasus region鈥檚 geopolitical power play into their priorities remains to be seen, Ms. Zourabichvili says. But she emphasizes that the West can only ignore Russia鈥檚 increasingly sophisticated approach of undermining independent and pro-Western countries through subversion of free and fair elections at its peril.

鈥淭here is a strategy鈥� for the entire region, she says, 鈥渁nd we had better start recognizing it.鈥�

And to anyone mourning Washington鈥檚 apparent shift in foreign policy from former President Joe Biden鈥檚 emphasis on democracy and American values such as human rights to President Trump鈥檚 more muscular 鈥減eace through strength鈥� and 鈥淎merica First,鈥� Ms. Zourabichvili has another message.

From Georgia鈥檚 experience, she says, the Biden doctrine turned out to be mostly lip service.

鈥淭he previous administration ... did not really do anything about preserving democracy in Georgia over the past two years,鈥� she says, noting that it was not until Dec. 29, with the investiture of President Kavelashvili, that Washington imposed sanctions on what she calls 鈥渢he new regime.鈥�

Also that day, the country鈥檚 new prime minister announced that Georgia would 鈥渟uspend鈥� its candidacy for the European Union, a step largely opposed by the public.

At Wednesday鈥檚 breakfast, Ms. Zourabichvili was reminded that President Trump has shaken allies with his own 鈥渆xpansionist鈥� plans, with talk of seizing the Panama Canal and acquiring Greenland.

The Georgian leader was careful not to burn any bridges, even as she underscored the principle of the integrity of international borders as a bedrock of international security.

鈥淒onald Trump might talk about expansion, but the Russians have been doing it,鈥� she says, noting Russia鈥檚 occupation of two Georgian regions. Important clues will come from the Trump administration鈥檚 stance on resolution of Russia鈥檚 war in Ukraine, she says.

For the sake of global stability, the world鈥檚 powers, including the U.S., 鈥渘eed to finally get Russia to accept to become an important power but ... one that lives within its borders,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his ends when Russia has borders.鈥�