This is about right:
The goal isn’t primarily to get a particular politician in power, but to sow chaos and doubt, to heighten the contradictions, and to weaken the strong countries and alliances that Putin thinks are holding down Russia. The Russians helped push for Brexit, not because Brexit was good for Britain (which I think it might be), but because it was bad for the European Union. ...
The Russians just wanted to cause trouble and wound the presumptive winner, Hillary Clinton.
Jonah correctly notes that the Russian effort to intervene in our 2016 election with propaganda wasn't to elect Trump but to harm the expected winner Clinton.
But I think this reasoning extends to Brexit. I don't think the Russians really thought Brexit would win. They just wanted to sow disorder in Europe.
Nor do I think that Russia really wants to weaken the EU.
I think Russia sees the European Union project as sowing defense disorder in Europe by increasing tensions between the EU which wants an independent (of America) military arm and the existing NATO which includes the powerful American portion of NATO that has successfully defended Europe from Russia and the USSR for so long.
And don't forget that Russia was key in getting both the 2013 Syria chemical deal and the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Those were not common objectives. Those were cases of America stupidly thinking Russia would help America.
Nobody should trust Russia. For a time after the Cold War I thought Russia might take the chance of a lifetime to join the West as Japan, Germany, and Italy did to their enormous benefit after being defeated in World War II. But Russia chose to be Russia and treat the West as an enemy.
But Russia prefers to be Russia. #WhyRussiaCan'tHaveNiceThings
