Shalva Papuashvili responded to the U.S. sanctions against high-ranking law enforcement officials, stating: "In Georgia, it is still dawning and getting dark as it did before, the country and our society are moving forward. These decisions cannot harm our people."

He explained that this decision would remain a heavy stain in Georgian-American relations, calling it another attack on the Georgian people by the outgoing U.S. administration. He emphasized the contributions of Georgian law enforcement and security agencies, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service, and the Prosecutor's Office, which had been praised for their efforts, particularly in counterterrorism.

Papuaashvili criticized the sanctions as an unjust act, reflecting a misjudgment by the U.S. administration, which, despite being rejected by the American people, is harming Georgian-American relations. He asserted that these sanctions cannot damage Georgia's progress or the spirit of the Georgian people, and that it is the reputation of the countries imposing such decisions that suffers.

He further commented on the U.S. Department of the Treasury's sanctions, which included Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and Mirza Kezevadze, the Deputy Director of the Special Assignments Department, both of whom were added to the SDN (Specially Designated Nationals) List under the Global Magnitsky Act.