text:  The same thing happened in 2012 with regard to Russia. You remember Barack Obama sitting with Dmitry Medvedev and telling him, I'll have more flexibility after the election if you forestall action before the election. You know what? Putin heard and he did. Putin did not get super duper aggressive in 2012. He waited until 2013, 2014. He waited until Barack Obama basically handed him control of Syria, essentially handed him control of Crimea and the Donbass region in 2014. He got exactly what he wanted.