I highly doubt that Trump didn't know about this issue and I am also not convinced that he would do something for Russia for free. I still don't think he (Trump) was in a barrel for Russia to carry on their agenda for what they need to do in the US. My take on the whole issue is that Trump is playing long term with Russia, putting forth a series of favors without asking for anything in return in the short term, but he's looking at gaining Putin's support or at least (non-objection) when it comes to what the US is planning to do in the middle east and Europe over the next 12 months. Trump understands Russia's pivotal role in the Syrian fiesta and it's not what he was hoping for to bring down the government over there. He's also not satisfied with the current NATO declining role and hoping to get more out of the NATO alliance through its expanding hegemony in eastern-europe.