The United States on Friday sanctioned Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister widely seen as the country's de facto leader, saying he was undermining democracy and allowing Russia to benefit.
Ivanishvili, who made billions in Russia in metals and telecoms in the 1990s, has spearheaded a turn away from the West in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Georgia" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Georgia</a> and accused foreign intelligence agencies of trying to drive it into war with Russia.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unacceptable-and-incompatible-france-warns-over-threats-against-georgias-pro-eu-president-8571713">'Unacceptable&nbsp;and incompatible': France warns over threats against Georgia's pro-EU president</a>
Critics say that under his Georgian Dream party, the country has become more authoritarian and pro-Moscow.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-drops-bounty-on-syrias-new-leader-after-talks-in-syrian-capital-785759">US Secretary of State Antony Blinken</a> said Washington was sanctioning the reclusive Ivanishvili for "undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation."
Blinken said Ivanishvili had implemented "actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the United States or abroad" for Russia.
The sanctions, which freeze any US assets belonging to Ivanishvili, follow years of souring relations between the West and Georgia, a former Soviet republic now a candidate for European Union membership.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the move "blackmail" and said it was Ivanishvili's "reward" for protecting Georgia from war.
He repeated claims by Ivanishvili allies that the billionaire has been under de facto US sanctions for years, something Washington denies.
Georgian Dream, which is dominated by Ivanishvili, says it is committed to a democratic and pro-Western Georgia while also maintaining pragmatic ties with neighbouring Russia.
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But last month it froze EU talks until 2028, abruptly halting a longstanding national goal.
The freeze triggered protests and a crackdown that has seen more than 400 people, including opposition politicians, detained.
<h2>Opposition leader, Ukraine welcomes sanctions</h2>
Georgia's Interpress news agency quoted Giorgi Vashadze, a leader of the opposition United National Movement, as saying he welcomed sanctions on Ivanishvili.
"The people's struggle has its results," Vashadze said. "The whole world sees the protest of the Georgian people, and this is a serious success of this protest."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the US move, saying Ivanishvili "is effectively the ruler in Tbilisi today and is doing everything to hand Georgia over to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's control.
"The loss of any country in our region, the destruction of democracy for one nation and the spread of criminal Russian influence pose a threat to the entire region and all its peoples," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram.
The US on Dec. 18 sanctioned several Georgian interior ministry officials whom it accused of complicity in the crackdown on protesters.
Ivanishvili has this year championed laws regulating "foreign agents" and LGBT rights that critics say are draconian and inspired by Russia.
Russia ruled Georgia for around 200 years until 1991 and continues to back two breakaway Georgian regions. They have had no formal diplomatic relations since Moscow defeated Tbilisi in a five-day war in 2008. Russia has said it does not interfere in Georgia.
The recent upheavals follow a disputed election in October, in which official results gave the Georgian Dream almost 54% of the vote. Opposition parties say it was tainted with fraud and illegitimate.
President Salome Zourabichvili, a critic of Georgian Dream, has said she does not recognise the election results and will not leave office when her term ends.
Her successor, Mikheil Kavelashvili, elected by Georgian Dream lawmakers, is due to be inaugurated on Sunday.
Georgian Dream has said it expects relations with the US to improve under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

World: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was sanctioning the reclusive Ivanishvili for "undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation."

The United States on Friday sanctioned Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister widely seen as the country's de facto leader, saying he was undermining democracy and allowing Russia to benefit. Ivanishvili, who made billions in Russia in metals and telecoms in the 1990s, has spearheaded a turn away from the West in Georgia and accused foreign intelligence agencies of trying to drive it into war with Russia. Also read: 'Unacceptable and incompatible': France warns over threats against Georgia's pro-EU president Critics say that under his Georgian Dream party, the country has become more authoritarian and pro-Moscow. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was sanctioning the reclusive Ivanishvili for "undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation." Blinken said Ivanishvili had implemented "actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the United States or abroad" for Russia. The sanctions, which freeze any US assets belonging to Ivanishvili, follow years of souring relations between the West and Georgia, a former Soviet republic now a candidate for European Union membership. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the move "blackmail" and said it was Ivanishvili's "reward" for protecting Georgia from war. He repeated claims by Ivanishvili allies that the billionaire has been under de facto US sanctions for years, something Washington denies. Georgian Dream, which is dominated by Ivanishvili, says it is committed to a democratic and pro-Western Georgia while also maintaining pragmatic ties with neighbouring Russia. Also read: Georgia gay couple gets 100 years in jail for raping adopted sons and filming child pornography But last month it froze EU talks until 2028, abruptly halting a longstanding national goal. The freeze triggered protests and a crackdown that has seen more than 400 people, including opposition politicians, detained. Opposition leader, Ukraine welcomes sanctions Georgia's Interpress news agency quoted Giorgi Vashadze, a leader of the opposition United National Movement, as saying he welcomed sanctions on Ivanishvili. "The people's struggle has its results," Vashadze said. "The whole world sees the protest of the Georgian people, and this is a serious success of this protest." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the US move, saying Ivanishvili "is effectively the ruler in Tbilisi today and is doing everything to hand Georgia over to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's control. "The loss of any country in our region, the destruction of democracy for one nation and the spread of criminal Russian influence pose a threat to the entire region and all its peoples," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram. The US on Dec. 18 sanctioned several Georgian interior ministry officials whom it accused of complicity in the crackdown on protesters. Ivanishvili has this year championed laws regulating "foreign agents" and LGBT rights that critics say are draconian and inspired by Russia. Russia ruled Georgia for around 200 years until 1991 and continues to back two breakaway Georgian regions. They have had no formal diplomatic relations since Moscow defeated Tbilisi in a five-day war in 2008. Russia has said it does not interfere in Georgia. The recent upheavals follow a disputed election in October, in which official results gave the Georgian Dream almost 54% of the vote. Opposition parties say it was tainted with fraud and illegitimate. President Salome Zourabichvili, a critic of Georgian Dream, has said she does not recognise the election results and will not leave office when her term ends. Her successor, Mikheil Kavelashvili, elected by Georgian Dream lawmakers, is due to be inaugurated on Sunday. Georgian Dream has said it expects relations with the US to improve under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

US sanctions ex-Georgia prime minister Ivanishvili for undermining nation's 'future' to benefit Russia

Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party received more than 54 per cent of the vote in a parliamentary election on Saturday, with more than 99 per cent&nbsp;of precincts counted, the electoral commission said on Sunday.

The results are a blow to pro-Western Georgians, who had cast the election as a choice between a ruling party that has deepened ties with Russia, and an opposition that had hoped to fast-track integration with the European Union.

Several local and international monitoring organisations, including the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), are expected to comment on the results on Sunday.

Opposition parties said on Saturday that they do not recognise the results, with one opposition leader calling the results "a constitutional coup".

Also read |&nbsp;<a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:83,&quot;y&quot;:231,&quot;w&quot;:532,&quot;h&quot;:16,&quot;abs_x&quot;:116,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2068}" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-bidzina-ivanishvili-the-reclusive-billionaire-behind-georgias-ruling-party-771062">Who is Bidzina Ivanishvili? The reclusive billionaire behind Georgia's ruling party</a>

But Georgian Dream's reclusive billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, who had campaigned heavily on keeping Georgia out of the war in Ukraine, claimed success on Saturday night, with his party putting in its strongest performance since 2012 on the back of huge margins of up to 90 per cent in some rural areas.

"It is a rare case in the world that the same party achieves such success in such a difficult situation - this is a good indicator of the talent of the Georgian people," Ivanishvili told cheering supporters on Saturday night.

Ivanishvili's Georgian Dream says it wants Georgia to join the European Union, though Brussels says the country's membership application is frozen over what it says is Georgian Dream's authoritarian tendencies.

Also read |&nbsp;<a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:88,&quot;y&quot;:296,&quot;w&quot;:526,&quot;h&quot;:16,&quot;abs_x&quot;:121,&quot;abs_y&quot;:1983}" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/georgias-ruling-dream-party-wins-majority-with-70-of-precincts-counted-771016">Georgia's ruling Dream party wins majority with 70% of precincts counted</a>

One local monitoring organisation called for the results to be annulled, based on reports of voter intimidation and vote buying, but it did not immediately provide evidence of large-scale falsification.

Last week, Moldova voted narrowly to approve its European Union accession in a vote that Moldovan officials said was marred by Russian interference.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience. 
&nbsp;

Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party received more than 54 per cent of the vote in a parliamentary election on Saturday, with more than 99 per cent of precincts counted, the electoral commission said on Sunday.

Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party received more than 54 per cent of the vote in a parliamentary election on Saturday, with more than 99 per cent of precincts counted, the electoral commission said on Sunday. The results are a blow to pro-Western Georgians, who had cast the election as a choice between a ruling party that has deepened ties with Russia, and an opposition that had hoped to fast-track integration with the European Union. Several local and international monitoring organisations, including the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), are expected to comment on the results on Sunday. Opposition parties said on Saturday that they do not recognise the results, with one opposition leader calling the results "a constitutional coup". Also read | Who is Bidzina Ivanishvili? The reclusive billionaire behind Georgia's ruling party But Georgian Dream's reclusive billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, who had campaigned heavily on keeping Georgia out of the war in Ukraine, claimed success on Saturday night, with his party putting in its strongest performance since 2012 on the back of huge margins of up to 90 per cent in some rural areas. "It is a rare case in the world that the same party achieves such success in such a difficult situation - this is a good indicator of the talent of the Georgian people," Ivanishvili told cheering supporters on Saturday night. Ivanishvili's Georgian Dream says it wants Georgia to join the European Union, though Brussels says the country's membership application is frozen over what it says is Georgian Dream's authoritarian tendencies. Also read | Georgia's ruling Dream party wins majority with 70% of precincts counted One local monitoring organisation called for the results to be annulled, based on reports of voter intimidation and vote buying, but it did not immediately provide evidence of large-scale falsification. Last week, Moldova voted narrowly to approve its European Union accession in a vote that Moldovan officials said was marred by Russian interference. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Georgia's pro-Russian ruling party secures majority in parliament, opposition alleges election fraud

Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party on Saturday (Oct 26) claimed victory in the country's parliamentary elections. Behind the party is Bidzina Ivanishvili, a reclusive billionaire who runs the country from behind the scenes. Here's all you need to know about him.

"I assure you, our country will achieve great success in the next four years," he told his supporters after claiming victory.

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:8,&quot;y&quot;:135,&quot;w&quot;:723,&quot;h&quot;:26,&quot;abs_x&quot;:41,&quot;abs_y&quot;:1822}">Who is Ivanishvili?</h2>

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the 68-year-old oligarch, is Georgia's richest man and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Ivanishvili entered Georgian politics 12 years ago. Back then, he promised to transform the country's democracy, reports news agency AFP. However, critics argue that he has driven the nation into isolation, "undermining democracy" and aligning closer with Russia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:88,&quot;y&quot;:296,&quot;w&quot;:526,&quot;h&quot;:16,&quot;abs_x&quot;:121,&quot;abs_y&quot;:1983}" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/georgias-ruling-dream-party-wins-majority-with-70-of-precincts-counted-771016">Georgia's ruling Dream party wins majority with 70% of precincts counted</a>

In recent weeks, Ivanishvili has intensified anti-Western rhetoric, accusing opposition parties of conspiring with a so-called "global war party" and trying to draw Georgia into conflict with Russia.&nbsp;

Born into poverty in western Georgia, Ivanishvili amassed his $4.9 billion fortune in Russia during the chaotic 1990s. He briefly served as prime minister in 2012 — serving for over one year.

According to Transparency International's Georgian branch, Ivanishvili has "near absolute power"&nbsp;without formal accountability.&nbsp;

Georgian Dream has "managed to gradually capture all branches of power and independent institutions in the country," said the group in May.

"The arrangement allows Ivanishvili to have near absolute power without any formal accountability," it added.

The oligarch wields influence behind the scenes, often through loyal associates — such as personal bodyguards, ex-CEOs of his companies, personal assistants and family doctors &nbsp;— who fill key government roles "with law enforcement and security services being the key".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/georgia-goes-to-polls-as-voters-decide-path-in-europe-770992">Georgia votes in high stakes election as voters decide between West and Russia</a>

Ivanishvili's lifestyle is as extravagant as his influence is extensive. His mansion in Tbilisi features a priceless collection of contemporary paintings, a modern art collection, exotic animals, and baobab trees transported from Africa.&nbsp;

His holdings extend far beyond Georgia, with luxury properties in Paris and New York under offshore entities. Ivanishvili's Co-Investment Fund, based in Luxembourg, operates projects across Georgia, from luxury hotels to industrial factories.

(With inputs from agencies)

Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party on Saturday (Oct 26) claimed victory in the country's parliamentary elections. Behind the party is Bidzina Ivanishvili, a reclusive billionaire who runs the country from behind the scenes.

Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party on Saturday (Oct 26) claimed victory in the country's parliamentary elections. Behind the party is Bidzina Ivanishvili, a reclusive billionaire who runs the country from behind the scenes. Here's all you need to know about him. "I assure you, our country will achieve great success in the next four years," he told his supporters after claiming victory. Who is Ivanishvili? Bidzina Ivanishvili, the 68-year-old oligarch, is Georgia's richest man and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Ivanishvili entered Georgian politics 12 years ago. Back then, he promised to transform the country's democracy, reports news agency AFP. However, critics argue that he has driven the nation into isolation, "undermining democracy" and aligning closer with Russia. Also read | Georgia's ruling Dream party wins majority with 70% of precincts counted In recent weeks, Ivanishvili has intensified anti-Western rhetoric, accusing opposition parties of conspiring with a so-called "global war party" and trying to draw Georgia into conflict with Russia. Born into poverty in western Georgia, Ivanishvili amassed his $4.9 billion fortune in Russia during the chaotic 1990s. He briefly served as prime minister in 2012 — serving for over one year. According to Transparency International's Georgian branch, Ivanishvili has "near absolute power" without formal accountability. Georgian Dream has "managed to gradually capture all branches of power and independent institutions in the country," said the group in May. "The arrangement allows Ivanishvili to have near absolute power without any formal accountability," it added. The oligarch wields influence behind the scenes, often through loyal associates — such as personal bodyguards, ex-CEOs of his companies, personal assistants and family doctors — who fill key government roles "with law enforcement and security services being the key". Also read | Georgia votes in high stakes election as voters decide between West and Russia Ivanishvili's lifestyle is as extravagant as his influence is extensive. His mansion in Tbilisi features a priceless collection of contemporary paintings, a modern art collection, exotic animals, and baobab trees transported from Africa. His holdings extend far beyond Georgia, with luxury properties in Paris and New York under offshore entities. Ivanishvili's Co-Investment Fund, based in Luxembourg, operates projects across Georgia, from luxury hotels to industrial factories. (With inputs from agencies)

Who is Bidzina Ivanishvili? The reclusive billionaire behind Georgia's ruling party

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US sanctions ex-Georgia prime minister Ivanishvili for undermining nation's 'future' to benefit Russia

Georgia's pro-Russian ruling party secures majority in parliament, opposition alleges election fraud

Who is Bidzina Ivanishvili? The reclusive billionaire behind Georgia's ruling party