Tbilisi: Amid criticism from the United States and opposition from Georgia’s president, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Sunday defended the police crackdown on anti-government protests, accusing demonstrators of acting under foreign influence to destabilize the nation.

Georgia, a former Soviet republic with a population of 3.7 million, has been gripped by political turmoil after the ruling Georgian Dream party announced it would pause European Union accession talks for the next four years. The decision has sparked alarm in the EU and the U.S., which view it as a pivot away from the West and toward closer ties with Russia.

Mass protests erupted in the capital, Tbilisi, for three consecutive nights, with police deploying water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. Demonstrations have also spread to other cities and towns, with more rallies planned for Sunday evening.

Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev described the unrest as an attempted revolution, warning on Telegram that Georgia was “rapidly following Ukraine’s path into a dark abyss,” a trajectory he claimed often ends poorly. Medvedev, once considered a reformist, has adopted a hardline stance since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, frequently issuing dire warnings to Kyiv and its Western allies.

Kobakhidze rejected U.S. criticism of excessive force against demonstrators, asserting that Georgian police operated with higher standards than their Western counterparts. “Despite the severe systematic violence by these groups and their foreign handlers, the police successfully defended the constitutional order,” he stated, offering no evidence for claims of foreign interference.

The Prime Minister downplayed Washington’s suspension of its strategic partnership with Georgia, calling it temporary and expressing confidence in dialogue with the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Compounding the political crisis, outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili—a strong advocate for EU membership—refused to step down at the end of her term, citing the October parliamentary elections as illegitimate. She vowed to remain in office, deepening the standoff with Georgian Dream, which has nominated Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former soccer player known for his anti-Western rhetoric, as its presidential candidate.

For decades, Georgia pursued a pro-Western trajectory, seeking to distance itself from Russian influence following a 2008 war with Moscow. The country is a NATO aspirant and officially became an EU candidate last year. However, the Georgian Dream government has drawn criticism at home and abroad for what many view as authoritarian tendencies and a drift toward Russia.

Controversial policies, such as a law requiring NGOs with over 20% foreign funding to register as “foreign agents” and legislation curbing LGBT rights, have further fueled concerns. The government defends its actions as measures to safeguard Georgia from foreign meddling and avoid being dragged into a conflict with Russia.

Newly appointed EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed solidarity with Georgian protesters, tweeting, “We stand with the Georgian people and their choice for a European future. Violence against protesters and democratic backsliding will have consequences for EU relations.”