US intelligence agency: Russia almost certainly aims to return Georgia to its sphere of influence - the Georgia Dream-led government has created an environment that enables Russia to increase its influence in the country

The US Department of Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has published a report on the assessment of global threats, which also mentions Georgia.

“Russia almost certainly aims to return Georgia to its sphere of influence. Since the parliamentary elections in October, the Georgia Dream-led government has created an environment that enables Russia to increase its influence in the country,” reads the document states.

The agency also assesses the situation in Armenia and emphasizes that Russian-Armenian relations have deteriorated over the past year.

“Russo-Armenian relations deteriorated last year, as Armenia threatened withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization and Russia used information operations to denigrate Armenian democracy and its more pro-Western leadership,” reads the report.