Certainly some events over the past few years would lend themselves to a good plot. -- Clean-cut American boy, Edward Snowden, develops conscience and reveals that his government spies on its own citizens. Escapes to Russia where he is granted asylum by the evil Vladimir Putin. -- Some of Snowden's information falls into the hands of that recalcitrant egotist, Julian Assange, who publishes them on the Internet, unconcerned about the damage he has caused or the lives he has endangered. He then hides in London's Ecuadorean Embassy from whose sanctuary he continues thumbing his nose at the USA. US officials are not unhappy at this turn of events because he has indefinitely incarcerated himself and America doesn't even have to pay for his upkeep. -- In the meantime Big Vlad surreptitiously organises an armed revolt by dissidents as he plots to reclaim the Crimea and the Ukraine for Mother Russia. Malaysian Airlines accountants save money on jet fuel by routing Flight MH17 across a battlefield. Russki forces shoot it down. There is world outrage. -- Far to the west, uncertainty is gripping the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) as Big Vlad turns his avaricious eyes in their direction. -- Only one nation is strong enough to stand between the weaker countries and the might of Neo-Soviet Russia. Only one country can put Putin back in his box: the United States of America. OK, so far so good. We've got the makings of a spy story. but it falls apart big time when Putin throws the hacking power of Russia into the US election and manipulates the information given to voters so that they elect perhaps the most inept president in history of politics.
Instead of a statesman, or even a professional politician, they elect a money-grubbing, woman-molesting, racist, wanna-be wall-builder; a buffoon so naive that he thinks Big Vlad is his friend.
No, I'm sorry. That'll never fly. There isn't a publisher in the world who'd touch such an unlikely story. We'd better stick with Tom Clancy and Jack Ryan.
This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at January 14, 2017 3:22 PM MST
All the things occurring with Russia you listed were under president Obama. How can anyone forget the ridicule he placed on Romney when Romney brought up the possible threat in 2012? Obama let Russia do what they wanted, because the targets over the past decade were things he despised; the military, freedom, and free enterprise. Doesn't fit with the socialist movement. Quite frankly, I've had enough of ivy league statesman and professional politicians, double speaking while moving the people one step closer to being pawns of the state.
Don't be silly. The atrocities in Eastern Europe didn't happen under President Obama or any other American president. They happened under the rule of Vladimir Putin. You don't LET Ruissia do something; it's a sovereign nation and its leaders will do what they want.
Right now there is great divisiveness in the US about whether or not Trump will be a capable president. Outside US borders there is consensus. He doesn't have a clue how to do the job and he inspires no confidence. He will NOT have the respect of world leaders and he will be the butt of all kinds of humour in the world's media.
That's a shame because, in becoming the target of ridicule, he is likely to diminish respect for America itself, and you don't deserve that, even if you did vote for him.
"All the President's Men". 
Benedict Arnold 