In the meeting with Putin, Donald Trump, who is known to be interested in swiftly resolving conflicts and taking credit for doing so, would face a seasoned strategist and master negotiator like Vladimir Putin.
Putin, who will be thoroughly familiar with all the historical and legal intricacies, knows that his counterpart will not be as informed. This would be a point of exploitation for him.
His strategy will likely be aimed at convincing Trump that the fastest path to peace is through a deal on Russia’s terms; however, he will need to convincingly feign offers of compromise, knowing that the American president would have to appear as a winner. Hence, Putin will need to present something tangible from the summit.
Trump might also be tempted by the prospect of a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which could be a loose promise with conditions that seem achievable but may ultimately prove unreachable. Putin has been praising Trump’s efforts for peace, likely to appeal to Trump’s transactional nature and to examine options that could benefit from siding with Russia.
Russian delegates include representatives for finance and investment, which might suggest discussions on rare earth deals or joint projects in the Arctic. Defence minister Andrei Belousov is also present, which could indicate Putin’s seriousness about proposing a nuclear arms control deal, considering the only existing pact between the US and Russia is due to expire in February.
Naturally, this would be a significant victory for the American president. However, Putin’s challenge will be to make Trump feel in control despite this. For an ex-KGB agent, this might not be difficult.
Source: https://news.sky.com/story/russias-master-negotiator-knows-trumps-weaknesses-and-will-try-to-exploit-them-13411937
