Georgia will face external threats from Russia, as well as internal issues caused by the actions of the ruling Georgian Dream party in 2018, says the latest issue of the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

“Russia’s continued occupation of 20 percent of Georgia’s territory and efforts to undermine its Western integration will remain the primary sources of Tbilisi’s insecurity. The ruling Georgian Dream party is likely to seek to stymie the opposition and reduce institutional constraints on its power,” says the Threat Assessment’s passage dedicated to Georgia.

The document also predicts that “the Kremlin will seek to maintain and, where possible, expand its influence throughout the former Soviet countries that it asserts are in its self-described sphere of influence,” employing “a variety of aggressive tactics” to do so. 

“In his probable next term in office, President Vladimir Putin will rely on assertive and opportunistic foreign policies to shape outcomes beyond Russia’s borders,” reads the Threat Assessment report.

The U.S. intelligence community members also believe that “Moscow seeks to create wedges that reduce trust and confidence in democratic processes, degrade democratization efforts,” and will try to “counter efforts to bring Ukraine and other former Soviet states into European institutions.”

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence integrates intelligence produced by various agencies belonging to the U.S. intelligence community.