Executive Summary

Russian negotiators, composed largely of experienced former Soviet intelligence and diplomatic officials, appear to have held a strategic advantage over their US counterparts in recent peace talks concerning Ukraine. Purported agreements have led to conflicting interpretations, with Russia maintaining uncompromising demands and offering minimal concessions. The unconventional inclusion and prominence of figures like Sergey Beseda, Sergei Lavrov, Yuri Ushakov, and Grigory Karasin, in such talks, with a history of involvement in Ukraine and the Russian security services, signals Moscow’s hardline and relatively unprecedented approach and suggests the use of tactics informed by intelligence operations. This starkly contrasts to America’s relatively inexperienced delegation and therefore depicts President Trump as the weaker player. 

Images Sourced From: US State Department, Presidential Press and Information Office,