TBILISI, Georgia — Despite heavy military casualties, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his offensive against Ukraine, but the threat Russia poses to neighboring countries goes beyond its firepower. Moscow engages in a variety of covert operations, including intimidation and disinformation, to manipulate former Soviet states with weak democratic traditions.
Russia is not alone; China is also trying to expand its influence among former Soviet satellites, using its economic influence to infiltrate their power centers. If the West allows the covert campaigns of the Kremlin and Beijing to go unchecked, the tide of democracy in the former Soviet space will recede, increasing the influence of both Russia and China.