Colin Stretch, the general counsel at Facebook, testifies on Capitol Hill on Oct. 31. Recent testimonies before Congress on election meddling, coupled with revelations of Russia's sophisticated "fake" news and targeted propaganda efforts, play perfectly into the Kremlin's strategy.
It's easy to look at a string of recent indictments against members of U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign staff and get sidetracked by the partisan rhetoric flying back and forth. But calls for impeachment from the left and claims of a state-sponsored set-up from the right ignore the deeper intrigue beneath the surface. At the heart of the political turmoil is Russia, which believes itself to be a great power by right but has been held back by an international system designed and dominated by the West, with the United States at its helm. From its seat in Moscow, the Kremlin is determined to see this system undone and has worked tirelessly toward that end using every means it can except military force. Its inherent weakness, however, has determined the tools at its disposal.
