In all due respect, I disagree strongly. From 1945 to th late 1980s, Russia was th number I threat to the freedom and security of western Europe and the Americas. We cannot forget how the Russians tyrannized and exploited all of eastern Europe and constantly threated western Europe. Without the USA and NATO Russia might well have also taken over a war-weakened western Europe.

While Russia is not the communist nation that it once was, it is still the authoritarian state with a ruling elite that it always has been. It still has the inferiority complex that it always has had. It has always had expansionistic ambitions at the expense of surrounding neighbors. It wants to be seen as a dominant actor on the world stage in spite of the fact that it lacks the population and the economy to rank in that class. In order to be seen as a heavyweight actor, it will always seek to stir up trouble in the world, so as to appear to be in a heavier weight class than it deserves.

Finally, Putin, himself, is a problem. We was one of the communist elite and a trained member of its secret service.. He will always seek to be the leading member of a tyrannical, authoritarian elite, although it is no longer an ideological elite. His goals include acquisition of wealth and power, absolute domination of his country's power structure, and to be one of the heavyweight actors on the world stage. He is a man who can never be trusted.

The democrats will never drop russiagate because they absolutely need it as one of the many scapegoats they use to blame their failures on.