(CNN) A former US ambassador to Russia said Russian President Vladimir Putin "absolutely" wanted Donald Trump to win the 2016 presidential election. "Trump said things that Putin wanted: change in foreign policy. He said he's going to lift sanctions, look into recognizing Crimea, blow up NATO and he didn't say anything about democracy and human rights. "It's very rational that Putin would want him to win," said McFaul, who has been a vocal critic of Trump. McFaul said it is "absolutely clear" that Putin took actions "to help Trump and to hurt Clinton" -- an assertion supported by a 2017 US intelligence assessment.

Source: CNN May 24, 2018 17:48 UTC