I see where you are coming from but not to the point where I agree 100%.
Putin's whole thrust is domestic policy. The basis of his domestic policies are mostly rooted in the international arena. These are not the days of the Comintern where he would support wars of national liberation or expansion of some sort of ideology. He is (IMO) aware that the Russian people admire a strong-man for a leader and, if Putin is strong, they will pretty much let him get away with murder domestically. What Putin wants is to re-establish the pre-USSR-breakdown borders - the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in particular. If he is able to do this, the average Russian will pretty much let him rule with an iron fist for the rest of his life. Losing those states was a kick in the balls to the Russian state's ego. And when the NATO umbrella was extended to them, it hurt their pride badly. Russians are particularly sensitive to appearing weak or backward in the world's eyes - but there was nothing they could do with their fleet rusting at anchor and their generals selling off all the best weapons to the Muslims.
It would not surprise me at all if certain back-channel talks with the Trump family resulted in a quid pro quo such as the evisceration of NATO. Trump, whose understanding of global politics is rudimentary, sees NATO only in terms of dollars and cents. If it got him a leg up on getting elected, he would give up the Baltic states in a heartbeat and more than likely offer a free hand in Ukraine, Syria and all of the Stans.
Hillary understands the history and strategy much better and is very unlikely to give an inch. So in that sense, you are right.
I tend to look at it as Trump is Putin's wet dream candidate: somebody as corrupt as himself.