Georgia’s political leadership has sharply criticised NATO’s long-standing hesitation on memberships, accusing the alliance of 'finger-pointing'.

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili declared that the alliance must take responsibility for years of stalled progress in Georgia's journey to full membership.

His remarks, triggered by comments from incoming NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, reignite a debate that has defined Georgia’s foreign policy since the 2008 Bucharest Summit.

Georgia’s aspirations to join NATO have returned to the forefront after Papuashvili delivered one of his strongest statements to date, accusing the alliance of maintaining an “open door” in words but not in action.

The Speaker argued that Georgia has fulfilled every major obligation of a NATO aspirant — politically, institutionally, and militarily — yet continues to face strategic ambiguity that only heightens security risks in the region.

Central to Papuashvili’s argument is Georgia’s extensive military contribution to NATO missions, especially Afghanistan. Georgia was the largest non-NATO troop contributor, at one point deploying ten times more soldiers than the Netherlands, the country led by Mark Rutte during the mission.

“We fought side by side with NATO soldiers. Georgia has paid the human cost,” Papuashvili stressed, highlighting a long-standing grievance that Georgia has done far more operationally than many NATO members but remains outside the alliance.

According to the Speaker, NATO’s failure to make a decisive move leaves Georgia — and similarly Ukraine — in a vulnerable “in-between zone” with unclear protections and higher security exposure.

NATO maintains that enlargement is guided by a broad set of principles. Membership is not determined solely by military cooperation, where Georgia has consistently excelled, but also by political stability, democratic governance, and alignment with NATO values.

These democratic benchmarks, alliance officials have repeatedly said, hold equal weight to military readiness.

Georgia was assured in 2008 that it would become a NATO member — yet no timeline was provided. Nearly two decades later, Papuashvili says that repeated verbal affirmations are no longer enough.

“Georgia has done everything. Year after year we stand before an open door that never opens,” he said. “The Georgian people are no longer naive.”

The Speaker warned that prolonged indecision not only undermines Georgia’s security but destabilises the region.

He pointed to Ukraine’s appeals for NATO clarity prior to the 2022 invasion as evidence that unresolved membership questions can escalate into geopolitical vulnerability.

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