Sometimes, these people act under the Kremlin’s instructions; other times, they set out independently, trying to do what they think would please Mr. Putin. In theory, Mr. Putin could disown them once they’ve made mistakes or been exposed, but this rarely happens. The attempted murder of Mr. Skripal has made the situation even worse. This escalation is drastically limiting Russia’s foreign policy options, and Mr. Putin likes to have multiple options on table. It is true that Mr. Putin doesn’t tolerate traitors, but exchanged spies like Mr. Skripal have traditionally been immune.

Source: New York Times March 26, 2018 04:52 UTC