Foreign aid and its political implications are at the centre of public debate in Georgia with mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze echoing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's stance on USAID.

Rubio in a post on X had said that the USAID had been dismantled and that all foreign aid was now under the purview of the State department in order to understand better what the money was used for.

"Now when we give money to countries, we know where the money is going and we know we're helping our allies and friends and not enriching some third party group making money from your tax payer dollars" he said in the video. 

The statement triggered strong reactions from Georgian officials, who say Washington has now acknowledged concerns they raised years ago — while critics warn against oversimplifying the role of international aid.

Kakha Kaladze said that although some USAID funds were officially directed toward development projects, in practice they were used to influence political processes, manage internal dynamics, and fuel polarisation within society.

“We shouldn’t even have to ask whether these funds from international organisations were transparent or opaque. Today, it is clear to everyone what they were actually used for. Only a small portion went to finance projects..." he said.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze echoed this view, noting that Georgian authorities had repeatedly warned about such risks in the past but were met with criticism and accusations of promoting anti-Western or pro-Russian narratives.

According to him, Rubio’s statement shows that these concerns were not unfounded, but rather part of a wider problem now being acknowledged in Washington itself.

Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili also pointed to the comments as confirmation that Georgia’s controversial transparency law was adopted in response to real challenges.

She argued that the government had a responsibility to protect national interests at a time when foreign-funded organisations operated without sufficient accountability.

At the same time, supporters of USAID and international assistance programs reject claims that foreign aid is primarily a tool of political interference.

USAID has long maintained that its mission focuses on humanitarian aid, economic development, democratic institutions, civil society, and media freedom — areas it considers vital for long-term stability and resilience.

Georgia has been one of the largest per capita recipients of U.S. assistance. In 2023, the U.S. government disbursed USD 143.8 million in aid to Georgia, with USD 84.5 million flowing through USAID as the primary administrative channel.

Critics of the Georgian government’s narrative argue that equating democracy support with political manipulation risks undermining independent civil society and weakening democratic checks and balances.

They warn that stricter controls on foreign-funded organisations could limit civic space and damage Georgia’s relations with Western partners.

From this perspective, Rubio’s decision is seen less as an admission of wrongdoing abroad and more as an internal U.S. restructuring driven by domestic political pressures and efficiency concerns.

For Georgia, the discussion around USAID has evolved from a local political dispute into part of a broader international conversation.

As the United States tightens control over foreign assistance and governments worldwide reassess the role of international donors, Georgia finds itself navigating a complex space between cooperation and caution.

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