[HIGHLIGHTS] The US State Department threatened Georgia with sanctions due to the resumption of flights with Russia

The United States has warned the Georgian authorities about the possibility of imposing sanctions in connection with the resumption of direct flights with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin abolished the visa regime for Georgian citizens from May 15.

Moscow explained that the decisions taken are in line with Russia's principled approach to consistently facilitating the conditions of communication and contacts between Russians and Georgians. The Georgian airline Georgian Airways received permission to fly to Russia from May 20. The U.S. State Department said that now "is not the time to increase cooperation with Russia"