The Estonian intelligence report of 2020 reads that this year “Russia’s focus will certainly be on the US presidential and Georgian parliamentary elections”. 

According to the report, the main goal of Russia is to ensure a more beneficial election result by favouring Russian-friendly candidates or those who have the most divisive influence in the West. 

The report states that in 2019, Russia “clearly stepped up” its military and security-political pressure on Georgia.

The report states that in addition to the use of hard power, influence activities are also part of the traditional arsenal employed by Russia in the South Caucasus. 

“A classic example of this is the Yevgeny Primakov Georgian-Russian Public Centre in Georgia, a local ‘branch’ of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, which acts as an instrument of Russian influence activities. In Georgia, the Primakov Centre organizes Russian language courses, introduces Russian culture and history, and organizes conferences and seminars. The real purpose of these seemingly innocent activities is to make Georgia’s current and future elite more receptive to Russia’s political and economic ambitions”, - reads the report 

It says that the recent years have also seen a “significant increase” in propaganda to promote so-called traditional values in Georgia.