Day: January 16, 2026

The United States military donated firefighting and communication equipment worth USD 234,150 to Georgia’s Emergency Management Service (EMS) under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as part of what Acting U.S. Ambassador Alan Purcell said is “humanitarian assistance.”

In a video released with the January 16 press release from the Georgian Interior Ministry, Purcell said the donation “will help the EMS to respond quickly and effectively to emergency situations.”

“This is our humanitarian assistance,” he stated, “which includes everything from donations of medical supplies to upgrading of emergency facilities to strengthening and decentralizing Georgia’s national emergency response mechanisms.”

“The humanitarian assistance has been, for over three decades, a key part of US-Georgia cooperation, which reflects our shared commitment to saving lives and to supporting communities in times of need.”

Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze and Emergency Management Service Head Temur Mghebrishvili hosted the U.S. delegation at the ministry, thanked them for the donation, and held a meeting.

“The meeting was also attended by the Head of the U.S. Military Group, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Underwood, the Defense Attache Colonel Jonathan Adams, and the Bilateral Cooperation Officer, Major Alec Harrison,” the ministry press release also said.

The donation follows earlier U.S. aid in the form of a grant of USD 10.4 million in communications equipment and related goods to Georgia’s Ministry of Defense. Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze signed a relevant decree in December authorizing the grant.

It also comes amid continued rupture in U.S.-Georgia relations. In November 2024, Washington suspended its Strategic Partnership with Georgia, and later imposed sanctions on Georgian officials and ruling Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Since returning to the office in January 2025, the Trump administration has largely remained silent on Georgia, despite Georgian Dream’s efforts to present itself as ideologically aligned with Trump and repeated messages about Tbilisi’s willingness to reset relations.

Also Read:

• 26/11/2025 – GD Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili Meets U.S. Envoy Alan Purcel
• 07/07/2025 – U.S. Ambassador: GD Sent “Threatening, Insulting, Unserious” Letter to Trump Administration
• 16/06/2025 – GD Foreign Minister Meets State Department’s Senior Advisor
• 28/05/2025 – Ivanishvili Says Sanctions, “Blackmail” Behind His Refusal to Meet U.S. Diplomat

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