POLITICS

DECEMBER 17 - 23, 2021 POLITICS

5 The Sit Down: The UK-Georgia Defense Relationship with Lt Col Tony Brumwell

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY MICHAEL GODWIN

The United Kingdom and Georgia have quite the interesting and historic relationship, particularly with regard to many other Western European nations. At the formation of the fi rst Democratic Georgian Republic in 1919, the UK maintained both political and military ties, including a contingent of troops in the nation with the aim of deterring the growing Bolshevik threat. In the modern era, the two nations have rich and intertwined economic, social, and military ties.

Today, these military cooperative missions fall under the purview of Lieutenant Colonel Tony Brumwell. GEORGIA TODAY talked with Lt Col Brumwell about the UK-Georgia defense relationship, regional confl icts, and NATO membership. WHAT ARE TODAY’S KEY GOALS FOR THE UK’S MISSION WITH THE GEORGIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE?

Defense and security forms a really central part of the UK’s relationship with Georgia. As such, we place great emphasis on assisting with the MOD’s institutional reforms, and also on building capacity for Georgian Defense Forces. NATO readiness is the goal, so of course we are supporting NATO initiatives (under the SNGP- Substantial NATO Georgia Package) as well as pursuing bilateral co-operation. And this is a partnership – there’s much the UK can learn and gain through our co-operation.

WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 LARGEST OR MOST SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES IN ACHIEVING THOSE GOALS?

We try to see challenges, rather than obstacles! Resources are a constraint: neither Georgia nor the UK has unlimited capacity, and so we need to prioritize the areas of activity. Coherence is a challenge too: we have to ensure that what we are doing is coherent not only with Georgia’s own reforms but also with what other partners are trying to achieve. And, of course, we need a common language, which is why one of our priorities is to provide English language training.

HOW DO YOU PLAN ON OVERCOMING THOSE CHALLENGES? ARE THESE SOLUTIONS ACHIEVABLE IN MONTHS, YEARS, OR DECADES?

The UK recently published its Integrated Review, which lays out how its defense and security objectives will be pursued internationally. Through an approach of ‘persistent engagement’, the UK seeks to have an enhanced presence in the region that will do the work of training and providing education required by Georgia’s MOD and Defense Forces. It’s a strategic approach, so we are planning for the long-term, but we’re making solid progress towards the targets each year.

IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, HOW WOULD YOU RANK THE VARIOUS TYPES OF ASSISTANCE BEING OFFERED BY GEORGIA’S PARTNERS: TRAINING SUPPORT, MATERIAL AND HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT, ARMS AND WEAPONRY, BATTLEFIELD TECHNOLOGY, AND INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT?

Having played such a key part in NATOled operations in Afghanistan, Georgia’s Defense Forces already have extensive capability in the tactical fundamentals – to Shoot, Move, Communicate and Medicate. Now, under the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, there are capability developments underway in many other areas, such as Strategic Communications (led by the UK). Each of these SNGP initiatives is seen as having equal priority. And more than this, since combat effectiveness is a product of its conceptual, moral and physical capabilities, these areas all need to be developed in harmony.

THE INVOLVEMENT OF RUSSIA IN THE BELARUSIAN-POLISH BORDER CONFRONTATION WITH IMMIGRANTS, A BUILDUP OF FORCES AROUND UKRAINE, AND THE CONTINUING MATTER OF BOTH RUSSIAN FORCES IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH AND HOSTILITIES BETWEEN ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN, HAS MADE THE EU AND NATO MORE CONCERNED. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU HERE IN GEORGIA? THE ROYAL NAVY ROUTINELY VISITS THE PORTS OF GEORGIA AND PARTICIPATES IN NAVAL EXERCISES IN THE BLACK SEA, DESPITE THE IRE OF THE RUSSIAN LEADERSHIP. HOW WOULD YOU GAUGE THE NEED FOR GREATER DEVELOPMENT OF GEORGIA’S NAVAL WARFIGHTING AND COASTAL DEFENSE CAPABILITIES?

We feel port visits to Georgia by Royal navy ships are a vital part of our cooperation package.

They provide a clear message on the UK’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; more than that, they help ensure freedom of navigation both in Georgia’s waters and the international waters of the Black Sea. We enjoy excellent co-operation with the Coast Guard, whose boarding teams are now accredited for NATO operations. US, UK and wider NATO initiatives are all providing uplifts to Georgia’s maritime fl ank security.

WITH NATO MEMBERSHIP BEING EVER SO CLOSE YET SEEMING JUST OUT OF REACH, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO ANY GEORGIAN DEFENSE OFFICIALS OR POLITICIANS READING THIS?

The UK remains fully committed to Georgia’s NATO progress. The UK’s ongoing support to SNGP is just one example of this commitment. The UK will also provide troops to next year’s NATO-Georgia exercise. British Forces are proud to be partnered with Georgian Defense Forces and Georgia’s Coast Guard; our common focus is security, deterrence and stability.

bay and continue working on NATO Hobson’s Choice for Georgia membership at the same time. Having all that in mind, a conclusion is asking to be made that Georgia is at serious risk of either angering Russia or dropOP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE ship in the alliance. This is all I wanted ping its European family membership to make clear: Georgia wants to make a dream. How long can Georgia last in this free decision in favor of its better future, weird modus vivendi, caught and tightly and, all of a sudden, there is Russia brashly squeezed in a diabolical space between Georgia is nominally an independent country, but it has never been as dependent as it now is on internationally determined circumgoing against it, against a move by a country merely making an attempt to give its long-expectant population the chance to raise its living standards. Russia is a strong nuclear power, enterthe hammer and the anvil? What a painful and unfair suspension! And all this because of the world’s super-powers’ continuing predicament for not being able to fi nally divide the world between stantial factors and exigencies – social, taining its own state security paradigm, them and have done with it! political and economic. Our declared which purports to having no countries Russia and NATO will continue to exist geopolitical orientation is, ideally, propel- along its borders that belong in the adverse and operate at daggers drawn for quite a ling us toward our Euro-Atlantic future, military block. NATO is a military allipotentially putting to the service of the ance of countries, perpetuating the idea nation the western culture and its pecu- of doing no harm to any peace-loving niary power, and ridding the country of nation in the world, and believing that anything that reminds us of our socialist any country has the right to decide, indepast and communist prospect. pendently from any other, where to belong

As the polls would have it, the majority and where not to. Meanwhile, Georgia, of the people of Georgia are happy with aspiring to NATO membership, has a long the fi rst model of outlook, but Georgia’s border with Russia who reckons NATO westernization as such has become a its adversary. The contradiction born out sharp thorn in the Russian side. Russians of this circumstantial factor creates the don’t even want to hear that Georgia exigency for Georgia to keep Russia at Image source: Wikimedia Commons

might someday be welcomed into NATO as a full member of the western military alliance – it is one of Russia’s worst nightmares. Ironically, if Russia wanted, it could also attempt, with a considerable chance, to be welcomed into the club itself. Imagine what a relief this would be for the rest of the world – Russia, a NATO member, the strongest guarantor of peace and prosperity in the world!

Well, this won’t happen of course. Instead, it’s a bit of a “dog in a manger” situation- the metaphor derived from an old Greek fable meaning someone who has no need of, or ability to use, a possession that would be of use or value to others, but who prevents others from having it. That’s exactly what Russia is doing to Georgia – “I don’t have it but you won’t enjoy it either.” The Russian Foreign Ministry recently submitted to NATO a harsh and unembellished statement about the need to disavow the decision of the 2008 NATO summit that Georgia be granted memberWe try to focus our efforts on providing Georgia’s defense and security institutions with a greater ability to detect, deter and counter hostile activity. Of course, that includes increasing resilience against Russian hybrid attacks including cyber and disinformation. The UK is especially invested in further hardening Georgia’s MOD against cyberattacks and in both developing the free media and actively countering disinformation.

while to come. And Georgia will stand gaping at the Hobson’s choice of patronage over its fate and happiness. I just wonder if we, the people, are at least remotely clear about our country’s future niche on the planet. Where do we want to fi nd ourselves eventually? In the new and comfortable lap of Europe, or in the old and already-tasted Russian orphanage? Yet, the decision about that will never be made here, on Rustaveli Avenue in our capital city, which is right now getting ready for Christmas and the New Year celebrations while at the same time living under the threat of further political manifestations, in no way contributing to the decisions that so much bother the nation.