US postpones military drills with Georgia amid strained ties

The United States is indefinitely postponing large-scale military exercises with Georgia amid strained relations with Tbilisi, the Pentagon announced Friday.

The United States "will indefinitely postpone this iteration of exercise NOBLE PARTNER in Georgia" scheduled for July 25 to August 6, the US Defense Department said in a statement.

The decision was made due to "the Georgian government's false accusations" that the United States was pressuring Tbilisi "to open a second front against Russia to alleviate pressure on Ukraine, and of participating in two coup attempts against the ruling party."

"As such, the United States Government has determined that this is an inappropriate time to hold a large-scale military exercise in Georgia," the Pentagon said.

Georgia's defence ministry said the decision was "regrettable," but that other forms of security and defence cooperation with Washington were continuing, the country's national broadcaster reported.

The move comes amid a cooling of relations with Tbilisi after it pushed forward a Russian-style "foreign influence" law that critics said is meant to stifle opposition groups and which triggered mass protests.

The United States in May imposed visa restrictions on "individuals who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia, as well as their family members," and said it was launching a comprehensive review of bilateral ties.

Georgia's ruling party has faced widespread accusations of derailing the country from its EU membership path and leading it back towards the Russian orbit.