getting into china is all but impossible for most western journalists. >> this is the financial and economic capital of china. >> but when the u.s. ambassador

nicholas burns invited us to come for a visit and an interview, we were granted visas. is it our most competitive relationship in the world right now? >> this is the most important, most competitive, and most dangerous relationship that the united states has in the world right now and will, i think, for the next decade or so. what happens if vladimir putin enters another country besides ukraine by force? he already has. 15 years ago, russia invaded neighboring georgia. it has military stationed there and controls 20% of the country. what's next? >> the russians are buying apartments here in every 33 minutes, and they're registering a business in every 26 minutes. so we are on the brink of a very dangerous situation here in georgia. >> i'm lesley stahl. >> i'm bill whitaker. >> i'm anderson cooper. >> i'm sharyn alfonsi. >> i'm jon wertheim.

>> i'm cecilia vega. >> i'm scott pelley. those stories tonight on "60 minutes." if you have chronic kidney disease you can reduce the risk of kidney failure with farxiga. because there are places you'd like to be. farxiga can cause serious side effects, including ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration, urinary tract, or genital yeast infections, and low blood sugar. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ this charmin ultra soft smooth tear is soooo soft and soo smooth. charmin ultra soft smooth tear has wavy perforations that tear so much better for a smooth more enjoyable go. charmin, enjoy the go. (man) every time i needed a new phone, for a smooth more enjoyable go. i had to switch carriers... (roommate) i told him...at verizon, everyone can get that iphone 15 on them.

(man) now that i got a huge storage and battery upgrade... i'm officially done switching. (vo) new and existing customers get iphone 15 on us when they trade in any iphone. verizon feeling sluggish or weighed down? could be a sign that your digestive system isn't at its best. but a little metamucil everyday can help. metamucil's psyllium fiber gels to trap and remove the waste that weighs you down... so you can lighten every day the metamucil way. “the darkness of bipolar depression made me feel like i was losing interest in the things i love. then i found a chance to let in the lyte.” discover caplyta. unlike some medicines that only treat bipolar i, caplyta is proven to deliver significant symptom relief from both bipolar i & ii depression. and in clinical trials, movement disorders and weight gain were not common. caplyta can cause serious side effects. call your doctor about sudden mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts right away. anti-depressants may increase these risks in young adults. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke.

caplyta is not approved for dementia-related psychosis. report fever, confusion, or stiff muscles, which may be life threatening, or uncontrolled muscle movements which may be permanent. common side effects include sleepiness, dizziness, nausea, and dry mouth. these aren't all the side effects. in the darkness of bipolar i & ii depression, caplyta can help you let in the lyte. ask your doctor about caplyta. find savings and support at caplyta.com. wanna know a secret? more than just my armpits stink. that's why i use secret whole body deodorant... everywhere. 4 out of 5 gynecologists would recommend whole body deodorant, which gives you 72 hour odor protection from your pits to your- (sfx: deoderant being sprayed) secret whole body deodorant.

american ceos used to swoon over china. its vast pool of consumers has been a magnetic draw for decades. but doing business there has

become so fraught and risky, with intellectual property theft and an expanded espionage law used to intimidate the business community, that u.s. companies have pressed the pause button. on top of that, the u.s.-china relationship has become contentious due partly to china's belligerent activity toward taiwan and in the south china sea, the balloon spy incident of last year, and the list goes on. making matters worse, the chinese economy has hit a wall. export growth is slowing. the country's drowning in debt, and youth unemployment has soared. getting into china to tell that story is all but impossible for most western journalists. but as we first reported in february, when the u.s. ambassador nicholas burns invited us to come for a visit and an interview, we were

granted visas. we spoke with him at his residence in beijing. >> more money is leaving china for the first time in 40 years than is coming in from american, japanese, european, korean investors. >> now, why is that, and how much of a problem is that for them? >> that's a real problem for this economy. they have 1.4 billion people here. they've got to keep it growing, and foreign capital is important. you ask why. i think there's been a contradiction in the messaging from the government here in china to the rest of the world. on the one hand, they say, we're open for business. we want american, japanese businesses here. but on the other hand, they've raided six or seven american businesses since last march. >> raided? >> raided. >> you mean -- >> they've gone into american companies and shut them down and made accusations we believe are very much unwarranted. >> reporter: the american companies include bain &

company. and the mintz group, a company that does due diligence for other companies that might want to invest here, was raided last year. five of its chinese employees were taken into custody, and they're still there. another firm, capvision, was raided. lest the message wasn't loud and clear, a report about it was put on state-run television. it accused western consulting firms of espionage and stealing national security and military secrets. >> they want the investment to come back, and they're raiding american companies? >> yes. >> and they're -- >> they've passed an amendment to their counter-espionage law, and it's written in such a general way that it could be that american business people could be accused of espionage for engaging in practices that are perfectly legal and acceptable everywhere else in the world -- collecting data to do due diligence so that you can

decide whether you want to invest in a company or form a joint venture, right? >> what do you think the chinese are afraid that these companies are going to find out, these due diligence companies? what are they worrying about? >> you know, i think they want to control data about the chinese people, about chinese companies. and so that, i think, is at the heart of the problem of those american companies operating in that sphere. >> reporter: ambassador burns told us that's just one of the concerns he hears about. >> there is still intellectual property theft from american companies here. >> is every american company afraid of that? >> yes. >> reporter: all kinds of u.s. companies began flocking to china in the early 1980s after the country opened to the west under then-leader deng xiaoping. and now u.s. banks operate here. walmart has nearly 300 stores across the country. shoppers here in shanghai can buy levi's, browse in an apple

store, and get a caramel frappuccino. >> starbucks has 6,000 stores in china, 1,000 stores in shanghai, and they want to keep building because coffee -- this was a tea culture. >> right, yes. >> -- for hundreds of years. it's now becoming, at least for the young chinese, a coffee culture. >> and they love starbucks? >> they love starbucks, and i'll buy you a cappuccino. >> i'll take one. thank you. >> reporter: boeing's here. so is tesla, pfizer, chevron, intel. but while some businesses are thriving, many of the foreign companies are worried about the business climate under president xi jinping. >> if you track china from the death of mao to the opening of china to the world, we've seen a closing of sorts. we've seen a centralization of power of the party. we've seen increased repression of the people of china here.

that's very significant trend just over the last decade. >> with xi? >> under his leadership. >> reporter: part of that trend includes president xi's reversing many of the market reforms that unleashed china's economic miracle. >> they've been growing over 40 years, the fastest growth rate recorded in economic history, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11% growth rates. they've lifted 800 million people out of poverty. but what's happening is that growth rate is slowing down. most economists are now projecting there will be 2%, 3%, 4% growth, maybe even lower, in the next decade. >> can they support their society if it's that low? >> that's going to be difficult for them. >> if there was so much explosive growth, if so many people were lifted out of poverty, why is he turning away from what worked? >> well, i think they've got maybe competing priorities. the government here in china certainly wants the economy to grow, but they also have a national security mind-set.

they want to control data. >> but that's more important, the control, right, than economic growth? it seems that way. >> i think it's open for debate. you're hearing -- we are hearing both messages. >> it sounds as if you, yourself, don't know the direction it's going. >> what i perceive here is that the greater energy is with those on the national security side of the government of china. >> good morning. how are you? >> reporter: on a train trip from beijing to shanghai, the ambassador pointed out that in the decades before president xi, china powered its economy by investing in these high-speed trains, roads, factories, and skyscrapers that light up shanghai, the financial capital of china. but under president xi, china lost more than $120 billion worth of long-term foreign investments last year because of

the weakening economy and the harsh government tactics which have left american companies uncertain of the future there. >> there are a lot of american companies here. have a lot of them just picked up and left because of this current business environment? >> you know, that's interesting. not many. >> not many? >> not many. >> why not? >> china is the second largest economy in the world. it's a big market. so a few american companies have left, but most have stayed. >> reporter: some american companies are moving at least some of their operations to singapore, vietnam, mexico. >> but they're not leaving china? >> they don't want to leave. >> the market's so irresistible to american business people. it's gigantic. >> maybe they're not leaving, but they're not investing. they're not making major investments until they can see exactly where the government is headed. >> reporter: yet because of the 1.4 billion potential consumers, some companies like disney are

increasing their investment. >> welcome to shanghai disney resort. >> reporter: it recently expanded its shanghai disneyland that they told us is thriving. aptar, a $9 billion company headquartered in crystal lake, illinois, is another american firm bucking the trend of capital flight. president of aptar asia ziangwei gong, a chinese-born u.s. citizen, showed us around one of their five manufacturing sites in china. >> we are manufacturing for some of the largest u.s. brands, actually the u.s. consumer brands. >> reporter: this factory makes the packaging and dispensing devices for food, pharmaceutical, and beauty products sold in asia. >> all of our customers, like p&g, l'oreal, estee lauder, they're all here doing business. >> reporter: aptar, in china for nearly 30 years, recently invested $60 million in a new

factory. ziangwei gong says even in a slowing economy, the company is doing well. >> american companies here, as the ambassador well knows, are pausing or cutting back on investment, but not this firm. you're expanding. >> well, because we are here for the long term, and we believe in the consumption power of the rising middle class. it's 1.4 billion people here, and imagine, for example, health care. and the same with cosmetics and beauty and beverage, all those sectors, packaged foods. these are really the biggest markets. and so we are very confident about the long term. >> what does it say about the confidence really in the u.s.-china relationship? it seems to say you believe that things will -- what? i'm asking. get better? >> that's a great question for the ambassador.

i believe so. i hope so. >> you know, we'll see. >> reporter: actually, burns says he's wary of the future as the fundamental rivalry and mistrust between the u.s. and china is shaking the confidence of the business world and has pushed our relationship to its lowest point in half a century. >> is it our most competitive relationship in the world right now? >> this is the most important, most competitive, and most dangerous relationship that the united states has in the world right now and will, i think, for the next decade or so. >> i want to quote you back to yu, and tell us what you meant. you have said "divorce is not an option." >> right. our two countries have to live together. and this, i think, is the greatest tension in the u.s.-china relationship. china is our most significant competitor and, at the same time, china is our third largest

trade partner, 750,000 american jobs at stake. agriculture. china is the largest market for u.s. agriculture. one-fifth of all of our export products from agriculture are sent to china. that was $40.9 billion last year. >> so we can't afford really to have a real break here? >> well, it's complicated. >> all those jobs would -- >> it's complicated. some people are saying, well, we're so competitive with china, we should end the economic relationship. well, a consequence of that would be 750,000 american families wouldn't be able to put dinner on the table. and so this makes for an extraordinarily difficult balancing act in my job. >> you're a wallenda brother. >> i've never thought of myself that way. >> but you're up on that tight rope. >> high wire, right? well, we have competing interests here, and balancing those interests is the reality in the u.s.-china relationship. if we're going to compete, we have to compete responsibly and keep the peace between our countries.

but we also have to engage. >> reporter: more about the balancing act and the biggest economic problem in china today when we come back. hi. i use febreze fade defy plug. and i use this. febreze has a microchip to control scent release so it smells first-day fresh for 50 days. 50 days!? and its refill reminder light means i'll never miss a day of freshness. ♪ upset stomach iberogast indigestion iberogast bloating iberogast thanks to a unique combination of herbs, iberogast helps relieve six digestive symptoms to help you feel better. six digestive symptoms. the power of nature. iberogast. ♪♪ are you tired of your hair breaking after waiting years for it to grow? meet new pantene pro-v miracles. with our highest concentration of pro-vitamins yet, infused with ingredients like biotin & collagen. strengthens hair bonds and repairs as well as the leading luxury brand

without the $60 price tag. for stronger, healthier hair. ♪♪ if you know, you know it's pantene. ♪♪ t-mobile "savings", take one. focus. here's the line... "at t-mobile, you get tons of benefits, and you can still save versus the other guys." i'll just do it. check out the t-mobile savings calculator to see how much you can save. and right now, we'll even pay off your phone when you switch! ♪♪ marshalls buyers hustle for the latest trends, from fashion... double denim is back. got it! to beauty, so you don't have to. that is a deal! we get the deals, you get the good stuff. marshalls. ♪ ♪ believe it or not baby... at university of phoenix... you... you... you... you could earn your... master's... [ gasp ] for under 11 thousand! 11... yes! 11!

master's degree for under 11k in less than a year. some things are too obvious to be a coincidence. earn your competency-based master's at university of phoenix. wanna know a secret? with new secret outlast, you can almost miss the bus... but smell like you didn't. secret fights 99% of odor-causing bacteria. smell fresh for up to 72 hours. secret works! it's a crime to smell that good.

1 in every 5 people in the world is chinese. china's population is four times that of the u.s., and the

country is vast, 3.7 million square miles. it overlooks the taiwan strait, where half the world's trade flows every day, and is located about 100 miles away from taiwan. president xi likes to say that the east is rising, the west is declining. but economically, the u.s. is thriving compared to china. in december, moody's, the credit rating agency, cut its outlook for china to negative, and it's facing a long-term demographic bind. a decline in the birthrate that experts say is irreversible, meaning the country is both aging and shrinking. ambassador nicholas burns took us on a tour starting in beijing. the ambassador and his wife, libby, like to take early morning walks through a park near their residence. ♪ >> this is a 600-year-old ming

dynasty park called ritan park. it's a place for a lot of retirees and a lot of young people, and it's tremendously active. >> reporter: it's where the locals come for their early morning routines, like tai chi, yo-yo-ing, and ping pong. [ speaking in a global language ] >> reporter: you couldn't tell from these scenes that china, where the covid pandemic began, is still emerging from the trauma of president xi jinping's oppressive zero-covid policy. burns, 68, a career diplomat who has served in both republican and democratic administrations, got to china at the height of the zero-covid lockdowns and quarantines. >> when my wife, libby, and i arrived here in early march of 2022, we were quarantined in

this house for 21 days, for three weeks. shanghai, a city of 26 million people, was completely locked down for 63 days. >> what was that like in the city? >> we had women who needed to give birth, and we had to find a way to get them to the hospital. we had americans who wanted to get out but had to find a way out of their locked compounds to the airport. so zero-covid worked for a while. in '20 and '21, they had very low or relatively lower infection rates. but by 2022, it had really divided this society. >> reporter: it set off rare, widespread protests. then in december of 2022, president xi ended the policy abruptly. >> the last thing this government is going to accept here is volatility. >> reporter: volatility is something joerg wuttke, a german businessman who has lived and worked in china for over 30 years, hadn't seen since the

tiananmen square uprising in 1989. he represents basf, the world's largest chemical producer. >> you have said this is a ptsd country, post-traumatic stress disorder country. what do you mean? >> well, everybody has been traumatized by the lockdowns that took place in many cities across china, and the kind of messaging that came out of the leadership, "it's for your own safety." and then the lockdown was lifted. actually, it was more a capitulation from the government. the lockdown basically left, and like a tsunami -- >> they said, "we were wrong. we're going to lift it"? >> they never said they were wrong. that's not the system to admit they did something wrong. and then like a tsunami, covid was rolling across the country. >> after they lifted it? >> december, january, i would say a billion people were infected, and certainly lots of of people died. >> reporter: independent analysts say that an estimated 1.4 million people died. >> this kind of environment really changes your attitude

towards life. and in business, we thought we're going to have a comeback story, and we had a good couple of weeks. and then the economy basically has been flat since. >> you know, after covid in the west, in the united states particularly, we did have a huge, quick rebound. why didn't it happen here? >> well, i think that covid also has covered up a couple of long-term problems that china has been building up. for example, in the real estate sector. >> reporter: we reported on the real estate sector ten years ago with astonishing sights like this of empty buildings in city after city across the country. this is today. similar hollowed-out wastelands of unoccupied and unfinished apartments known as ghost cities. >> when i was here ten years ago, i never expected to see these buildings still here. >> yeah. >> reporter: what was a housing bubble back then grew and

finally exploded. this real estate crisis lies at the heart of china's economic decline. >> has anybody counted up the number of empty units, i mean across the whole country? >> well, the whole of germany, we have 82 million people could move in here right away. 80 to 90 million apartments are empty. >> 80 to 90 million apartments are empty? >> right, unfinished. >> reporter: over the years, chinese banks readily loaned money to the developers as the building boom created millions of jobs and propelled china's growth. but in 2020, the government under president xi clamped down on the rampant borrowing, causing the major developers to default on their loans and run out of money. >> look at that. the facade isn't even finished. >> yeah. >> reporter: he says they couldn't even afford to take down the cranes. in january, evergrande, once

china's largest developer, was ordered to liquidate its remaining assets. left in the lurch are millions of chinese citizens who bought these apartments before they were built. >> the developers owe their customers that paid up to the magnitude of 1 trillion u.s. dollars. so if i did a down payment on one of these apartments -- >> right. >> -- will i ever see that money? >> no, you will not see the money. >> it's gone. it's vanished. >> it's gone. it's finished. it's really dramatic. >> ten years ago, we were told that this was the way people put money down for their nest egg. >> right. >> for their retirement fund. is that still the case? >> 66%, two-thirds of family household average wealth is in apartments. >> reporter: that loss of wealth has depressed consumer spending and dragged down the economy. we wondered if the people blame president xi for that or for the

covid deaths. but it was impossible for us to gauge public opinion or if it even matters. while no one from the government would give us an interview, we were able to learn, as joerg wuttke, who has lived here for 30 years told us, it's not a good idea to bet against the chinese people. >> what are some of the positive aspects of the economy here? they do have a strong manufacturing base still. >> well, the big part is between the ears of people, the brains of the chinese entrepreneurs that actually made this success story happen. china is not really good in basic research, but they're fantastic in development. they're world champion in actually making products better, faster, and cheaper. >> are they better? >> yes, they are in some areas. our chinese competitors are breathing down our neck and basically drive some of us out of the market. >> reporter: for instance, china now makes over 80% of all the solar panels in the world. it dominates the wind turbine

market and last year, became the world's biggest exporter of cars and more. >> they're the leading trade partner of twice as many countries in the world as the united states. so they have -- >> they're the leading trade partner? >> with over 60 countries in the world. >> reporter: and now with heavy government subsidies, it is fast becoming a leader in electric vehicles. the carmaker byd is vying with tesla for the title of best-selling ev maker in the world. shanghai-based nio is trying to break through with high-tech innovations. in december, the company unveiled a new battery with a driving range of 620 miles, more than 200 miles further than tesla's top-end model. >> this is nice. >> this is our flagship. >> reporter: william li, the ceo

and founder of nio, says its battery swap technology allows owners to swap out their depleted battery for a fully charged one in under three minutes. >> exactly it's 2 1/2 minutes. >> 2 1/2 minutes? >> yes. we already installed 2,200 swap stations all around china. >> reporter: china is also developing a humanoid robot industry. >> look at that. >> reporter: alex gu is the founder and ceo of fourier intelligence. >> hi, there. >> reporter: last year, he launched the gr-1, his first-generation humanoid. >> we can do arm. he can swing the arm. yeah, you see? >> oh, look at the fingers. oh, my word. can he play the piano? >> yeah. future, definitely can. >> in the future. >> reporter: also in the future, he says, the robots could

provide health care for china's rapidly aging population. >> maybe we can -- for example, we can remote control such kind of robots and help my grandpa for example. yeah, i think. >> yeah. >> reporter: president xi, who visited this company last year, has called for the mass production of humanoids by 2025. in his annual new year's speech, he talked about the country's economic woes and, for the first time, acknowledged the high unemployment rate. still, he has laid out a long-term goal of doubling china's economy by 2035 and surpassing the west in technology. >> our companies and tech experts are competing on a.i. and biotech and quantum mathematics. all those technological advances will lead to a new generation of military technology. our two militaries are vying for military supremacy. who's going to be the most

powerful in the most important, strategic part of the world, which is the indo-pacific. >> reporter: presidents biden and xi met in san francisco in november in hopes of re-establishing military communications between our two countries, which china had cut off. >> i think we're back to a more settled and stable relationship between the two countries, but it's been a roller coaster. >> reporter: the low point, he says, was the spy balloon incident last year. but there's also been the buildup of military bases in the south china sea, the increase of air sorties near taiwan, and the buzzing of u.s. military planes. >> do you see a lowering of the temperature in the south china sea? >> no, and that's a problem. >> you don't? >> and then on taiwan, following speaker pelosi's visit, we've seen now for 16 months a much higher rate of chinese both air activity and naval activity. it's very intimidating, meant to

intimidate. >> and they haven't pulled back on that? >> they haven't pulled back on that, and i think ultimately they want to become and overtake the united states as the dominant country globally, and we don't want that to happen. we don't want to live in a world where the chinese are the dominant country. >> when the cold war ended, we all thought our system had won. >> yeah. >> you know, their system failed. our system rose up. now he's come back and said, no, no. the communist system's the right way. i guess we didn't bury that after all. >> you know, it's interesting to compare the old cold war with this time. what distinguishes this time versus the old cold war, the soviet union had a strong military and nuclear weapons. it had a very weak economy, which in no way competed with ours. china's economy is very strong. we're dealing with an adversary,

a competitor in china, stronger than the soviet union was in the 1940s, '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s. >> so if that was a cold war, what are you calling this? >> it's a competition of ideas, a battle of ideas. our idea, america's big idea, of a democratic society and human freedom versus china's idea that a communist state is stronger than a democracy. we don't believe that. so there's a battle here as to whose ideas should lead the world, and we believe those are american ideas. >> reporter: the latest salvos in the battle for supremacy came last month when china conducted two days of large-scale war games around taiwan, and president biden imposed new stiff tariffs, including a 100% tax on chinese electric vehicles.

>> announcer: lesley stahl on witnessing china change while reporting for "60 minutes." >> this was different from the other times i'd been there reporting. >> announcer: at 60 minutes overtime.com, sponsored by nurtec odt. with nurtec odt, i found relief. the only migraine medication that helps treat and prevent, all in one. to those with migraine, i see you. for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults. don't take if allergic to nurtec odt. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. it's time we all shine. talk to a healthcare provider about nurtec odt from pfizer. -we're done. -what about these? looks right. nooo... nooo... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty absorbs spills like a sponge. and is 2x more absorbent so you can use less. bounty, the quicker picker upper.

things will go wrong for your customers. but your business can make it right, with watsonx assistant. ai that can help resolve problems by understanding your customer requests with 90 percent accuracy. let's create customer service in service of customers, with watsonx assistant. ibm. let's create. coarse hair with wathin skinistant. when i'm shaving down there not just any razor will do venus for pubic hair and skin with a patented irritation defense bar for a smooth shave with blades that barely touch skin

did my legs shrink? i can move them. i mean, i knew alaska airlines' premium class had extra legroom but this...

this feels different. okay. crazy idea. on the count of 3... i'm going to try and cross my... ohhhhhhhhhhh boyy that's nice. woooooo! ( ♪♪ )

the day russia invaded one of its neighbors, waged a bloody war, and seized a fifth of that neighbor's territory, fear and shock rippled throughout the region. we're not talking about russia's invasion of ukraine. rather, the small country of georgia. that invasion was more than 15 years ago. vladimir putin's playbook hasn't changed much. today georgia, which shares a 556-mile border with russia, is still trying to remove the grip of the kremlin. days after russia invaded ukraine, georgia submitted an application to become part of the european union with hopes of gaining a western insurance policy to protect it. last october, we met with the president of georgia, salome zourabichvili. the daughter of georgian refugees raised in paris, she says that vladimir putin has launched a quiet invasion of georgia in an attempt to extend russia's reach.

>> the war in ukraine is now moving into its third year. how is the war there impacting life here? >> it is, of course, a reminder of everything that this country has gone through and of the fact that it's always an immediate danger and threat. it's already part of the reality that russia is testing the ground. >> you think the russians are testing the ground right now in georgia? >> right now. >> how so? >> here, their easy way is the hybrid war. >> reporter: a hybrid war that has included online and televised disinformation campaigns and anti-western propaganda pumped into georgia. a favorite tactic of the kremlin. georgians have seen it before. in 2008, three weeks before russia launched its first air

strike in georgia, moscow hit the country with a series of cyberattacks. the five-day bloody battle that followed ended with russia seizing 20% of georgia's land. president zourabichvili says the mostly muted international reaction to that war laid the groundwork for russia's invasion of ukraine and vladimir putin's plan to bring former soviet republics back into the russian fold. today, a fifth of georgia is occupied by the russian military, and an estimated 8,000 russian troops are inside the georgian border. we traveled with georgian security forces 37 miles outside the capital, tbilisi, into the tiny village of khurvaleti. today, it is a rural no man's land. >> oh, my. >> reporter: across a rickety bridge, we found an abandoned stretch of farmland choked off by barbed wire. warning signs to stay out.

>> oh, there she is. >> reporter: and a defiant 87-year-old valya vanishvili. >> translator: the russians have told me, "this is our land." and i said, "no. your land is in russia. this is our land, not yours. you have no rights here." >> how long have you been surrounded by the barbed wire? >> translator: for 15 years. >> reporter: in 2008, her land was seized by russian troops. the grandmother of four still refuses to surrender her home. cut off from family, she relies on outsiders and a stick to deliver food and the medicine she needs. she whispered to us that the russians were watching us from over that hill. >> are you afraid of the russians? >> translator: yes, i'm afraid of them. what if they take me and detain me? nobody can help me. i'm alone. if it's only a couple of them, i can always answer them and fight

back. but when it's a lot of them, there is nothing i can do. >> reporter: georgia is bordered on the north by russia, the east by azerbaijan, and the south by armenia and turkey. the bridge between the black and caspian sea, an important route for natural gas and oil. high up in the mountains of georgia, we saw another reason the small country of nearly 4 million is crucial to the kremlin. a long line of trucks, many of them carrying european cargo across the border into russia. united nations data shows that since the war began, everything from cars to chemicals have rolled into russia through georgia, some in violation of western sanctions, a lifeline for putin's regime. there is traffic coming into georgia too. thousands of russian nationals entering the country in cars and on foot, extending for miles and arriving in waves first at the beginning of the ukraine war in 2022 and again later that year when fighting-age men fled russia's mandated military

service. but some georgians worry putin loyalists could be entering the country too, laying the groundwork for russia's next move. when vladimir putin invaded ukraine in 2022, he said it was to, among other things, protect the russians living there. president zourabichvili fears putin could launch a similar campaign in georgia. since the war, georgia has become home to 100,000 russians. >> it's very unnerving when, in your own country, you have people that are talking the language of the enemy and that believe that they're at home. >> the russians believe that they are at home? >> they're behaving and believing that they are very much at home. so there's a fine line, and that line has to be kept so that we do not have incidents in the future that would allow russia to use their favorite doctrine of protecting russian-speaking

citizens. >> so why doesn't georgia just say "no more russians through our border"? >> that is a question for the authorities. >> aren't you the authority? >> no. i don't have the executive powers unfortunately. >> reporter: the executive power to control georgia's border was squarely in the hands of its prime minister, irakli garibashvili. publicly, he said that he supported the country's bid to move away from neighboring russia and join the european union. but his actions and inactions told a different story. since the ukraine invasion, prime minister garibashvili agreed to resume flights between tbilisi and moscow for the first time in almost five years. he's also failed to adopt strong sanctions against russia. critics of the prime minister accuse him of being in the pocket of a georgian oligarch, a billionaire who helped get him elected. the 67-year-old oligarch made his fortune in russia and served

a brief stint as georgia's prime minister. his $50 million home looms over tbilisi, a reminder of his wealth and power. in 2022, european lawmakers called for sanctions against the oligarch for his, quote, links to the kremlin, a connection that could undermine georgia's eu bid. >> we're going in with a government that's completely corrupt, a government that's pro-russian, clearly anti-western, clearly does not really care about what the majority of the population wants and needs. >> reporter: ana tavadze and dachi imedadze are members of the shame movement, a group with thousands of young followers working toward georgia's entry into the european union. >> if russia wins, it means loss of freedom, loss of everything that we've fought for in the past 30 years basically. it's a fight for values. it's a fight for where you want to stand in this big fight for

democracy. >> as soon as west in any form, be it the u.s. partnership, be it european union, is not represented in this country, russia will fill the void right away. >> reporter: they say the influx of russians is already changing the face of georgia. >> what are they doing if we look at it? they're buying apartments. they're buying private property. they're opening up businesses. their actions changed georgian economy. >> the russians are buying apartments here in every 33 minutes. they're purchasing a piece of land in every 27 minutes. and they're registering a business in every 26 minutes. so i think we are on the brink of very dangerous situation here in georgia. >> reporter: according to public records, russians have registered more than 20,000 businesses in georgia over the last two years and launched five new russian-only schools, none of which are licensed by georgia's department of education.

russians have driven rent up nearly 130%. prices for everything from food to cars have gone up 7%. over 100,000 georgians have left the country because many of them can't afford to live here anymore. >> i've heard this described as a quiet invasion. >> quiet invasion, yeah. there's a risk of the economic divergence. there's a risk of military intervention, and there's a risk of georgia's statehood being destroyed. >> reporter: emmanuil lisnif, george smorgulenko and pavel bakhadov don't look like much of a threat. all russians in their 20s, they fled their country for fear of being drafted or imprisoned for speaking out against putin. they now live in georgia and work at this russian-owned comedy club in tbilisi. >> i try and said, "i'm against the war in russia." i was beaten, and after that, going to prison three times. >> so three times you went to

jail? >> yes, yes, three times. >> i believe and i know that russians actually against the war. >> you think that most russians are against the war? >> yeah. just scared, really scared. >> have any of you had any aggression towards you because you're russian? >> actually, i have a big writing on the wall. it is the biggest thing i see from my window, just big "russians go home." >> reporter: there is no subtlety in spray paint. anti-russian graffiti blankets the city along with support for ukraine. on crumbling walls, the georgian flag is joined with those of the european union, the u.s., and nato. over 80% of the georgian public backs entry into the eu, as does georgian president zourabichvili. but her position has become increasingly ceremonial as the country moves towards a parliamentary government. after she went to europe to try and pave the way for georgia's eu bid, prime minister irakli garibashvili accused her of violating the constitution,

banned her from traveling to europe, and tried but failed to impeach her. president zourabichvili has defiantly continued to fly to europe to meet with leaders on her own dime. >> it doesn't seem like the prime minister is interested in joining the eu. >> well, that's a question that the whole population is asking, whether they really want it or whether it's lip service. >> this is a critical time. do you feel like the west, particularly the u.s., has been responsive enough and supportive enough of georgia in this moment? >> i don't think so. and i will take one concrete example. i've been a president now for five years, and i've not managed to have any form of meeting at my level, which would be the president or the vice president, even through a phone call.

i understand that there are more urgent issues, but i think that some more public recognition is needed. >> recognition of? >> of the fact that the united states is supporting our candidate status within the european union. i know that that is the language that the u.s. has with our european partners, but that being repeated by the highest level would be meaningful for the georgian population. >> reporter: the eu has laid out a list of requirements for georgia to become a full member. the conditions include tackling corruption and lessening the economic and political influence of domestic oligarchs. membership is not guaranteed. >> what happens to georgia if the eu denies the bid? >> it will be a big victory for russia. >> reporter: a victory valya vanishvili refuses to give them. 87 years old, she says she is holding her ground for herself

and for georgia. that bid may be in further jeopardy. this past february, the georgian parliament appointed a new prime minister, an anti-western member of the russian-leaning georgian dream party. in may, his government passed a "foreign agents" law which threatens to silence media outlets and ngos inside georgia. in just this past week, his party proposed legislation that would strip same-sex couples of their rights, both moves the eu has said could seriously compromise the country's chance for membership and pull georgia deeper into russia's orbit.

to give your teeth a dentist clean feeling. start with a round brush head. add power. and you've got oral-b. round cleans better by surrounding each tooth to remove 100% more plaque. for a superior clean. oral-b. brush like a pro. (♪♪) these new menu items at panera are perfect tens. they're also each under $10. more new sandwiches and salads, more in every bite, and more new options under $10. come taste the new era at panera and get a $0 delivery fee for a limited time. time to press rewind with... neutrogena rapid wrinkle repair. it has derm-proven retinol... ...expertly formulated... ...to target skin cell turnover... ...and fights not one—but 5 signs of aging. with visible results... ...in just one week. neutrogena this isn't charmin!

no wonder i don't feel as clean. here's charmin ultra strong. ahhh! my bottom's been saved! with its diamond weave texture, charmin ultra strong cleans better with fewer sheets and less effort. enjoy the go with charmin.

- lift the clouds off of... - virtual weather, only on kpix and pix+. i'm scott pelley. we'll be back next week with another edition of "60 minutes." until... i saw how easily it picked up my hair every time i dried it. it only takes a minute. look at that! the heavy duty cloths are extra thick for amazing trap and lock. even for his hair.

wow! and for dust i love my heavy duty duster. the fluffy fibers trap dust on contact up high and all around without having to lift a thing. i'm so hooked! you'll love swiffer or your money back! (man) every time i needed a new phone, you'll love swiffer i had to switch carriers... (roommate) i told him...at verizon, everyone can get that iphone 15 on them. (man) now that i got a huge storage and battery upgrade... i'm officially done switching. (vo) new and existing customers get iphone 15 on us when they trade in any iphone. verizon it ain't my dad's razor, dad. ay watch it! it's from gillettelabs. this green bar releases trapped hairs from my face... gamechanga! ...while the flexdisc contours to it. so the five blades can get virtually every hair in one stroke. for the ultimate gillette shaving experience. the best a man can get is gillettelabs.

(nicole) welcome to blue buffalo's one taste is all it takes. (jeremy) she won't eat anything that she doesn't want to eat.ence. there's no faking it with her. (nicole) we sent you blue tastefuls dry food... (jeremy) she loved it. (nicole) what's for dinner tonight? (jeremy) it's tastefuls from blue buffalo for this little girl. (vo) pick up blue tastefuls today.

i always felt safe in my neighborhood. a tree-lined street in the middle of a big city. it's where my dad put me on a school bus for the first time, where he taught me how to ride a bike. god, i miss my dad. but then, my senior year of high school, something terrible happened. something that would change my life forever.