I can’t agree with that conclusion, given that Clinton was all but promising nuclear war with Russia during the campaign. Some of her statements were downright shocking.
“...during the campaign. Some of her statements were downright shocking.”
Do you think that she made such hardline statements as part of the orchestrated act, she knew what was going on behind the scenes - dossier, FISA court, spy inserted in Trump campaign, wiretapping, Russian set-up meeting in Trump Tower?
It wasn’t that Putin wanted Hillary oh, it’s that like the rest of the world, he thought she was inevitable. And that more than anything else is the reason he didn’t dare openly support Trump, or launch covert operations on his behalf.
It was pretty much a foregone conclusion everywhere that she would win. He realistically thought he was going to have her for 8 years to deal with, and was probably careful not to do anything that was going to make it worse for him after she won.