Putin wants to destabilize the Western democracies.   That's why when the NFL players were kneeling for the national anthem, the Russians were using social media to support both sides.  Both sides!  What they want is polarization.  That's why they're supporting both Trump and Sanders, the two most polarizing candidates.  The Russians also used fake social media accounts to support Brexit.  

Putin is just being his KGB self.  Playing a long game.  Not directly confronting the western democracies, but undermining them.   He thinks he can undermine Nato, the EU, and even the USA.   

He wants to bring back the old Soviet Union, and he think's it will be a lot easier to do that if the West is weakened.

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