Russia just wants to destabilize NATO and the European Union, strong focal points on US tech advancement. Personally, I think it's just deserts - we've sown these seeds and will reap the consequences of action (or more accurately, inaction). The US has been stepping up for the better part of 6 decades by providing NATO support to the Baltics and Ukraine.

And of course you had Yanukovich, with Brussels and Washington both backing a street revolution to try and push the state anti-Russian, which made Putin mad about Moscow not getting the respect he wanted. He's much more a Tsar than a Stalin reincarnate - respect for Western ideals so long as those ideals send money to Moscow.

Of course, that leads to trading problems with Germany and China. Which is what it all really boils down to.

America needs to take a real America-first policy. Not the Trump version of America-first of exploited labour.

Which is kind of sick. Companies have had free run of America for too long, exploiting labour and sending business overseas to push those quarterly reports even higher. All the while building a massive defence spending to save face on what would otherwise be a disastrous economy.

And Putin knows this. So if he can pick at all the right spots then his respect as a superpower grows and he is more likely to secure trade ties with Germany and China as they back off from wanting to trade with the US.