THE SAKER—First, some skeptics might, for good reason, suspect whether this is true or some  kind of smokescreen.  Let me assure you that this is for real.  Here is why: to put it gently, the USA and, even more so, the CIA, are not exactly popular in Russia, especially amongst former KGB foreign intelligence (PGU KGB SSSR) service officers like Putin.  They are even *more* unpopular amongst the power base of President Putin.