Why Did Russia Attack The 2016 Election? This Week’s Whirlwind Offers New Clues

President Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attend a joint press conference after a meeting in Helsinki Monday.

Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images

A pyrotechnic week of geopolitical intrigue has yielded new clarity about the whys and wherefores of the Russia imbroglio, including one insight straight from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Why did Putin order the campaign of “active measures” that have been directed against the United States and the West since before the 2016 election?

There appear to be many reasons, but the latest one to break through may be how strongly Putin feels the United States had been waging such a campaign against him and Russia.