Georgia is hosting the multinational Resistant Spirit 2025 drills together with the United States
From July 25 to August 6, Georgia is hosting the multinational military exercise Resistant Spirit 2025. The drills are organized by the United States European Command, which oversees U.S. forces in Europe and Africa.
In addition to Georgia and the U.S., this year's participants include Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Notably, President Mikheil Kavelashvili and Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani, both from the Georgian Dream party, did not attend the opening of the exercises.
Such drills have not been held in Georgia since 2023.
Resistant Spirit 2025 highlights the United States' commitment to security and stability in the Black Sea region, as well as the importance of strong alliances and partnerships in addressing shared security challenges.
'On July 21, 2025, U.S. Army paratroopers from the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade conducted a joint airborne operation with approximately 100 Turkish paratroopers in Turkey. Following the operation, the troops relocated to Georgia to take part in multinational exercises, including live-fire drills,' reads a statement from the U.S. Army Europe and Africa website.
Commentary
Giorgi Tavdgiridze, colonel and military expert: ''Georgia is hosting the multinational Agile Spirit military exercises for the twelfth time.
The official opening took place at the NATO–Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC) in Krtsanisi district in Tbilisi.
Addressing the troops were First Deputy Defense Minister Paata Patiashvili, Deputy Chief of the Defense Forces Irakli Chichinadze, and Brigadier General Terry Tillis, commander of the U.S. 7th Army in Europe and Africa.
Notably, Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani of the Georgian Dream party did not attend the event. The silence from the commander of the defense forces and the chief of the general staff also remains unexplained.
Russian bloggers are furious – they see NATO's return to Georgia as a painful blow, while Georgian Dream appears powerless to stop it. And the party's weakness is perceived as a devastating humiliation.
No matter how often Georgian Dream claims it's not their fault, in Russia's eyes, they've lost significant ground.
'Georgian Dream is weak, but it is propped up by our patience and fear.'
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