Your posts make it sound like Russia’s arms were reached out to us in friendship until Mueller came along...Do you know how far Bush Jr. + Obama and Hillary went in kissing up to the Russians? How much money they poured into the place?!
Didn’t work out well for us now did it. Because niceness can ne mistaken for weakness.
Putin’s legitimacy relies in large part to hostility and rivalry with the West. If they “work” with us on anything — they want it on their terms. And they don’t like the U.S. ever having the upper hand...even if its something like de-nuclearization of North Korea. You can bet Putin will be offended if Trump meets Kim Jong Un on his own.
If you don’t believe ordinary Russian citizens want a new Cold War, I suggest you stay in Russia and talk to the people there yourself. They have their reasons.
We acted like asses under Bush, Obama & Hillary. We had no respect and no one trusted us to keep our word. We tried to impose our system of Government on other Nations. We involved ourselves in other countries local affairs and did not fulfill our agreements.
POTUS had a chance to shown that it was a new administration that was no patsy but would negotiate in good faith and keep bargains. That was a chance to accomplish some common goals with Russia while pushing some of the issues where Russia’s behavior is problematic. We gain nothing by demonizing Russia and may lose quite a bit.
I have been to Russia and I find your comments on the Russian people inaccurate based on my experience. They love their country best, we love ours, they look for advance of their country, we ours. They are angry at some of America’s action and we at some of Russia’s.