General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow can Maria Butina cooperate with Mueller without being whacked by Putin?
Seems to me she will have to clear Trump and Putin of any collusion or she will have an unfortunate accident.
separated from general pop.
doc03
(35,148 posts)get help from our so-called president.
shraby
(21,946 posts)trump off as a bad idea.
shanti
(21,670 posts)Dorian Gray
(13,469 posts)was to use Trump to shore up Russian power, destabilizing the USA is the best way to do that. And one of the best ways is making a mockery of our executive branch of government... and throwing in half of the legislative branch, as well.
I'd say mission accomplished. Butina can cooperate or not. It doesn't matter anymore to the Russians. She may serve time here, but the bigger wigs aren't beholden to our legal system.
ret5hd
(20,435 posts)Chaos is his goal, her testifying will still cause that
doc03
(35,148 posts)Jersey Devil
(9,863 posts)He may have determined Trump is basically useless to him now and wants to create more chaos in the US. Things are so crazy that maybe Butina made her deal with his blessing, maybe even at his urging.
She could have easily left the US long before the charges were brought against her. Why didn't she? She knew they were looking into hr actions. Maybe she stayed here because she wanted to get caught.
htuttle
(23,738 posts)I have to think that Putin can at least tell what a dumbass Trump is -- it's what made him an easy take in the first place.
I assume that he's assumed that Trump was a temporary strategy, since even if Trump goes down, Putin has done enough damage to Brand USA to make it worthwhile. Plus, it'll sow more chaos in the West (+Brexit).
I mean, before all this, the world already knew that Putin was willing and able to interfere in foreign elections.
What the world didn't know was that the US was capable of putting someone like Trump in charge.
We're never going to live it down. Damage is done.
Liberal In Texas
(13,453 posts)Get caught and now you tell all. Right.
They want a certain amount of what she's been doing to get out. It is all part of the campaign to sew discord. That is what this about.
Plus she is expendable. They'll make noise about wanting her back, but fuck, she's just a cog in the machine.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,280 posts)of government information. In other words, she's not, and couldn't be, charged with espionage. A real spy would never have cooperated. Her task was only to infiltrate conservative circles, especially the NRA, in order to set up an unofficial channel of communication between Russian officials and the GOP. There is no evidence she was directly involved with any communications between the Trump campaign and Russians, so she wouldn't have information that could "clear" Trump of anything.
LuvLoogie
(6,854 posts)But perhaps, she's too famous. Her disappearance would be conspicuous. But I could see "the deep state spooks" creating a persona for her.
ON edit: The hair is problematic, though. She'd have to dye it until Putin is over.
Straw Man
(6,613 posts)Witness protection.
JI7
(89,177 posts)she doesn't have secrets or anything that could hurt putin where harming or killing her would be worth it for him.
more likely she will be treated as a hero if she goes back to russia. the poor innocent girl who was treated horribly by the evil american system.
dalton99a
(81,068 posts)triron
(21,915 posts)Johnny2X2X
(18,745 posts)Putin wants the world to know because it makes him more feared. He doesnt care at all if she spills all the beans, he actually wants it.
Hassler
(3,326 posts)ChoppinBroccoli
(3,764 posts)I have this theory that is kind of complicated and convoluted, but the bottom line of it is that Putin had Trump installed as President for the sole purpose (OK, maybe not the SOLE purpose, but it's a big one) of lifting the sanctions against them. But here we are 2 years later, and the sanctions still aren't lifted. I think that's mainly because Trump has bungled this thing so badly that every time it appears that he's GOING to lift the sanctions, the press starts screaming, "Here it comes!!! He's going to lift the sanctions!!! Just watch!!!" and he then CAN'T do it. I believe that Putin is so frustrated with the fact that Trump couldn't achieve the one main thing he was installed to do that Putin is ready to just cut ties with him. To that end, I don't think he really CARES that Butina and others are ratting Trump out.
Another ancillary theory is that Putin doesn't care what goes on with all the various investigations over here because he knows he's already got the voting machines hacked to keep Trump in office another 4 years, and in a second term, he'd have a blank check to do whatever crazy thing crosses his mind.
2naSalit
(86,057 posts)she'll get whacked no matter what.
safeinOhio
(32,531 posts)The only revenge she needs to fear is from the wackos at the NRA. She can hurt them more than Putin and they have some bad dudes, or just crazy ones.