The country of Georgia is reverberating on Monday, with thousands of citizens on the streets protesting the government's betrayal of their democracy.

The people are demanding that the ruling Georgian Dream party fulfill its promise to alter the voting system to proportional representation. Georgian Dream recently failed to pass legislation to that effect, with critics blaming Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream's oligarch backer. A crony capitalist with a penchant for Putinism, Ivanishvili is degrading Georgia's connection with the West. But new comments by Georgian Dream's secretary-general that "the topic of [voting system reform] is closed" have further inflamed protester sentiment. Those on Tbilisi's streets are promising to blockade the entrances to parliament on Tuesday.

As Giorgi Kandelaki of the opposition party put it to me, "By tanking the proportional system, not only has Mr. Ivanishvili deceived Georgia's own citizens and its friends but also put the country on a dangerous path."

The United States should not be an idle witness to this destabilization. Facing escalated Russian aggression and Ivanishvili's malevolence, Georgians need American support. Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger is leading the charge here, but more action is needed.

So what should be done?

Well, first, we should recognize the opportunity to act. Georgians are pro-American, and Ivanishvili is unlikely to withstand concerted American pressure. That's partly because the oligarch has a lot of money here. In turn, President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo should affirm their support for Georgia's shift to a proportional representation system. One of the two should also visit Georgia to offer America's support for Georgia's strengthened democracy. But the U.S. embassy should also act. It should quietly make clear to Georgian Dream leaders that continued American military and economic support and increased trade are contingent upon speedy election reform. The embassy should also warn Ivanishvili that his cronyism risks U.S. sanctions on his assets.

The bottom line here is that Georgia is at a crossroads. It can move toward democracy and prosperity or toward an increasingly authoritarian Putin-style cronyism. America must help the Georgian people seize their better future.