“We have to halt USAID projects”, “They give us orders but no money”, “I hate Musk and Trump” - Georgian NGO representatives’ dialogue following USAID funding freeze

Washington has taken decisive actions to cut off financial sources that could potentially support radical agendas worldwide, including in Georgia.

Reports suggest that hundreds of millions of dollars have been affected, with one specific program being the Civil Society Engagement Program.

This five-year initiative, funded by the East-West Management Institute (EWMI), has a budget of $17 million.

The content of the internal conversations has become exclusively known to Imedi TV. According to a source who was present during the conversation, the program’s leader is unhappy that even a single cent transfer has been banned within the project.

According to the source, the program director Tamar Karosanidze is talking to a colleague and explaining that they are given orders [presumably referring to the deep state], but the right to use money has been restricted, to which the colleague replies that this is why both Musk and Trump are hated.

According to the source, the dialogue between Tamar Karosanidze and the unknown person is as follows:

Tamar Karosanidze: We have to halt USAID-funded projects. That's what feeds the protests. What should we rely on? They are giving us directives but no money.

Unidentified Person: I hate Musk and Trump.

Tamar Karosanidze: We received a letter stating that EWMI [East-West Management Institute] must not process any payments through the program. We have other donors, but they, too, have been restricted.

In an effort to verify and clarify this information, Imedi TV attempted to contact Tamar Karosanidze directly. Multiple approaches were made, including emails, text messages, visits to the office, and even attempts to reach her at her residence. However, after several days of attempts, Karosanidze remained unreachable.