That is the million dollar question which - when posed - completely obliterates the false narrative of the left.
The fact is, Putin wants a limp-wristed progressive in the Oval Office (such as Barack Obama or Hitlery Clinton) that he can run roughshod all over. The last thing he wants is another George W. Bush.
You mindless drones can't think beyond your programmed hatred.
Putin sits pretty. US secretary of state is Exxon's CEO Tillerson, a friend of Putin. Michael Finn, the proposed national security adviser is a strong advocate of Russia. The Russian President has tons of influential friends in Washington, ready to sway things in his favor. In the coming months, US support for energy diversification in Europe will erode quickly, branding the renewal of US-Russia ties as a priority over interfering in foreign energy markets.
US progress towards energy self-sufficiency in the sight of consistently low oil prices has also reduced geopolitical concerns over control of foreign energy sources. So it comes as no surprise that the US has started a reform to drastically reduce its Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Slowly but surely, Russia has laid the groundwork for dominance over the European energy market. For now, the Russian ploy seems to be working well. And, Washington has been reined in too. The southern Gas corridor could well be the tipping point. On target, Russian monopoly on natural gas is set. The big question is, what next?