Report Launch: Negotiating with Putin’s Russia

Why It Matters

Misreading Russia’s win‑oriented, coercive negotiating style risks failed deals and strategic setbacks on Ukraine, arms control, and broader Western interests; adapting tactics is critical to avoid being outmaneuvered.

Summary

The Atlantic Council released a new paper, "At the table negotiating with Putin’s Russia," by Donald Jensen and Yulia Osmolovska that examines Russian negotiation practice. The authors argue Moscow treats diplomacy as non-kinetic warfare aimed at decisively winning, not seeking mutual compromise, driven by a strategic culture reinforced by security services and trained across state institutions. Russian methods emphasize psychological manipulation, layered levers of influence, and institutional teaching that views the West as an adversary. The paper urges Western policymakers to stop mirror-imagining Russian motives, to recognize regime vulnerabilities, and to craft realistic, interest-driven negotiation strategies.

Original Description

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series examines how Russia’s strategic culture is reflected at the negotiation table with its adversaries.