sphere of influence and expand it. To begin to institute that plan he first had to spend years seeking out the weaknesses in our political system here. He finally found the mother lode in the GOP and tRump. Lifting sanctions is at the top of his list, along with worldwide damage to the reputation of the US. The real magnitude of betrayal by those that swore allegiance to this country and what it stands for has yet to be exposed. Putin is a fanatic that has to be again contained.

that it serves his immediate purpose without permanent damage. When tRump can no longer be of any real value he will still be protected. Putin has a geopolitical plan that conceivably will involve other leaders, and he has that to consider. Plus he has the Republican Party to balance the scale. tRump has a similar problem on a smaller scale with the pardon decisions on his convicted associates, in particular Roger Stone.

convincing. Putin can also probably prove tRump has participated in espionage activities against the US. He is a truly repulsive monster whose depth of depravity knows no bounds. In dealing with an asset that has absolutely no moral compass Putin knows how to effectively use the ugliness that motivates him.