Die richtige US-Strategie für Russland-Ukraine-Verhandlungen: Wie amerikanischer Druck den Krieg zu einem akzeptablen Ende bringen kann

[SS from essay by Thomas Wright, Senior Fellow at the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution. He served as Senior Director for Strategic Planning at the National Security Council in the Biden administration.]

Ukraine has considerable leverage in upcoming negotiations with Russia—as long as the United States stands by Kyiv and adopts a negotiating strategy that creates real dilemmas for Moscow. U.S. support for Ukraine has been cast into doubt in recent weeks after a flurry of comments by Trump administration officials offering unilateral concessions to Moscow and criticizing Ukraine. Bilateral talks between Russia and the United States in Riyadh have heightened concerns in Ukraine and Europe. But these moves are a choice, not a necessity. A good deal is still within reach if Washington is willing to pursue it.

The [Trump administration](https://www.foreignaffairs.com/topics/trump-administration) should enter these negotiations with a clear sense of U.S. interests, a correct diagnosis of the problem to be solved, a preferred ranking of possible outcomes, and a strategy for how to accomplish its objective. If it does that, it can secure a free and independent Ukraine with the ability to defend itself and deter future attack. If the United States fails to help Ukraine exploit the advantage it has on the eve of talks, it will give Moscow a lifeline, which it will not just use in its quest to dominate Ukraine but also to damage U.S. interests globally.

There is simply *no way* this administration can negotiate a good deal with Russia

It is because they do not have competent people capable of negotiating at this level. The entire administration is staffed by TV personalities, real estate developers, tech bros, and podcasters (I am not exaggerating, they literally just appointed a fringe podcaster as their FBI Deputy Director). The few people with serious experience like Rubio have no real power.

It is impossible for these characters to negotiate successfully with people like Putin and Lavrov

This article makes many valid points. But I simply cannot imagine how a hotel owner with minimal geopolitical experience will successfully implement them when he is sitting across from Sergey Lavrov. Negotiation at this level is a rare skill and not something just anyone can do.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Witkoff