Putin is playing with fire manipulating elections that put borderline fascists in power. Especially in the US. He might be in for a dissapointing surprise. We shall see.

The only way to win against the US is to divide it from within and/or obtain its non-involvement. By the time they send a carrier strike group, or worse, troops, it's game over. So that's what the Kremlin is doing: the thing that wouldn't have worked during the Cold War because the commie agitators would have either ended up in prison or being constantly harassed.