Historian, lecture teacher emeritus at the Sorbonne University, Françoise Thom is the author of numerous works on Russia, among which Poutine or the obsession of power (Litos, 2022). It analyzes the evolution of Russian-American relationships, which it deems marked by a “Poutinization” From the United States, both orchestrated by the Kremlin and accepted by Trump.
How do American-Russian negotiations supposed to bring peace to Ukraine illustrate the “Poutinization” of the United States that you diagnose?
We cannot really talk about negotiations when the American part has
Unilaterally abandoned its instruments of pressure on Moscow even before the diplomatic exchanges are officially open: Ukraine's support for NATO, the non-recognition of Russian territorial annexions, the sanctions lifted one by one. Vladimir Putin's tactics is simple: pretending to negotiate, not give in and wait for new concessions from its American interlocutors. It will be noted that Putin refused to negotiate with the initial candidate chosen by the American president, Donald Trump, as special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, because he knew Russia and had expressed the opinion that he had to be wary of the Russians.
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Source: Lemonde