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Why Negotiations With Russia Seem So Difficult
The American Conservative ^ | 7/13/25 | George O'Neill

Posted on 07/13/2025 12:47:23 PM PDT by EnderWiggin1970

Russia is more than a millennium old with a long diplomatic history. Some of Russia’s difficulty may come from the U.S. elites’ ignorance of Russian history and its sensitivities to real or perceived threats of foreign invasion. Many Americans remember the huge drama which arose during the Kennedy presidency when the Soviets put a few missiles in Cuba. Foreign policy wonks still talk about how close we came to World War III.

Americans who do not know or acknowledge Russia’s history are unable to understand Russian thinking, thus compromising their ability to consummate agreements with Russia.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the U.S. political elites promised not to move NATO east into former Warsaw Pact countries. Every time another former Warsaw Pact nation was added into NATO, the Russians complained and the West shrugged off the complaints. They believed Russia was too weak due to their struggle to recover from the ruinous Soviet years. Washington’s attitude was, “So what are you going to do about it?”

U.S. leaders also have spent years engaging ad nauseam in threats to weaken or break up Russia, to ruin the Russian economy, to change the Russian regime—and, of course, have levied decades of never-ending sanctions. This behavior has eroded the trust necessary to negotiate in good faith.

(Excerpt) Read more at theamericanconservative.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Russia; Ukraine
KEYWORDS: nato; putinthewarpig; russia; russiansuicide; russiantrollfarm; ukraine; vladtheimploder; war
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To: BobL

Nice how you suddenly decided this for all of us.

Some of us beg to disagree. Especially the Ukrainians.


81 posted on 07/13/2025 4:29:26 PM PDT by Apparatchik (Русские свиньи, идите домой)
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To: Rockingham

That is where you are wrong. That Cold War attitude that still prevails is why Peace is impossible. We allowed ourselves to be in the perpetual State of Fear for over 40 years and it has never really stopped.

When the Soviet Union fell we could have made Russia an Ally and a great Trading partner and enjoyed friendship and prosperity. We have done the exact opposite.

Are you one of those who think a Nuclear War is winnable?

I guess you think the Chinese are also the same.

The only country that wants war is the U.S., and it’s Proxy Israel. Rest of the world is moving on and without us if need be. We are becoming yesterday’s news. The new trading Block id BRICS and Eurasia and if we want to be part of it or participate then we need to change our policies and attitudes and face the fact it is becoming a Multipolar World and we can no longer Bully others.


82 posted on 07/13/2025 4:29:40 PM PDT by Captain Peter Blood
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To: BobL
Deal with it, Ukraine could have been 90% independent..

LOL, right, the Ukraine that Putin demanded be de-militarized and neutral would have remained "independent", until Putin invaded.

83 posted on 07/13/2025 4:31:03 PM PDT by tlozo
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To: EnderWiggin1970

Russians are just different. Since the days of the Tsars right up until today, Russian leaders care little for any cost in human lives as long as it’s not their lives. Just think for a minute about how tens of millions they killed in the 20th century. Unless there is a personal cost to Putin, nothing will change.


84 posted on 07/13/2025 4:36:57 PM PDT by Rlsau1
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To: EnderWiggin1970
Why Negotiations With Russia Seem So Difficult

Because Russians lie, and break treaties?

“We get a lot of bulls--- thrown at us by Putin,” Trump told reporters at a White House meeting. “He’s very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

85 posted on 07/13/2025 4:51:09 PM PDT by tlozo
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To: tlozo

If you read the article you might learn something.


86 posted on 07/13/2025 5:01:15 PM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
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To: Captain Peter Blood
We had a fraught relationship with the Soviet Union for decades during the Cold War yet we avoided a nuclear exchange while supporting friends and allies. The key was to maintain military strength and negotiate without illusions. One of my college professors, a Czech emigree with strong anti-communist views, confided in me in 1981 that Reagan's election and the impending US military buildup could win the Cold War. And so it did.

The current Putin regime is based on gangster corruption enforced by a brutal police state that is justified to the Russian public by an ideology of Russian nationalism and war for the sake of territorial expansion. Putin has bought into such thinking, which led to his foolish and failed invasion of Ukraine. Russia's economy is now a mess and NATO is rearming. When Putin is out, we ought to be able to make a reasonably good deal with his successor.

Might we have made Russia a reliable friend and ally after the cold War? None of the several Russian emigrees whom I have spoken with in detail thought that possible due to: (1) the profound corruption and gangsterism of modern Russia; and (2) that the same thugs who ran the KGB now run the Russian state under Putin.

Even then, if Putin would keep his word, we could do deals with him. But Putin has repeatedly broken treaties and agreements, including those in which he promised not to invade Ukraine. The result is that no one trusts him or Russia, which leave the US and Europe with little choice except to help Ukraine and let Russia bleed.

87 posted on 07/13/2025 5:02:22 PM PDT by Rockingham
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To: EnderWiggin1970
If you read the article you might learn something.

LOL, I learned immediately the author is ill informed or lying when he stated "U.S. political elites promised not to move NATO east into former Warsaw Pact countries"

There was no need to read further.

88 posted on 07/13/2025 5:06:52 PM PDT by tlozo
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To: tlozo

“LOL, right, the Ukraine that Putin demanded be de-militarized and neutral would have remained “independent”, until Putin invaded.”

Oh well, tough Shiite, should have taken up the offers when they came. Now you guys get next to NOTHING.


89 posted on 07/13/2025 5:11:29 PM PDT by BobL
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To: Apparatchik

“Nice how you suddenly decided this for all of us.”

The Neocons in DC made the decision to TOTALLY SCREW Ukraine - I just report the REALITY of the situation. But when did screwing over other countries ever bother the Neocons?


90 posted on 07/13/2025 5:13:09 PM PDT by BobL
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To: Rockingham
But Putin has repeatedly broken treaties and agreements, including those in which he promised not to invade Ukraine.

Yup, Putin broke a treaty he personally signed with Ukraine, recognizing its borders.

This is Putin signing a treaty with Ukraine, the 2003 “Treaty Between the Russian Federation and Ukraine on the Russian–Ukrainian State Border”.


91 posted on 07/13/2025 5:18:22 PM PDT by tlozo
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To: AAABEST

Why do the Putin supporters engage in childish name calling in response to logical statements?

Oh that’s right, because their belief system is idiotic by definition.

“Vlad is a great guy, Russia is the most wonderful society, America sucks, let’s all turn on Donald Trump”.


92 posted on 07/13/2025 5:50:14 PM PDT by Williams (Thank God for the election of President Trump!)
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To: BobL

Still sticking to the Vatnik fever dream that the “neocons” somehow fomented the Euromaidan protests against convicted traitor Yanukovich three months AFTER they started?

Ok, Pooper. 🙄


93 posted on 07/13/2025 6:14:07 PM PDT by Apparatchik (Русские свиньи, идите домой)
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To: tlozo

That is a plain truth all of us old enough and reading the newspaper remember. Wallow in your ignorance and bigotry if you must.


94 posted on 07/13/2025 6:14:54 PM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
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To: EnderWiggin1970

If all the NATO countries came to such an agreement and wrote up the treaty, then why didn’t Russia sign it?

Did NATO ever discuss and ratify such a proposal?


95 posted on 07/13/2025 7:58:11 PM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: EnderWiggin1970

“Americans understandably view Russian-American relations through the framework of American media, which tends to downplay or ignore hostile and ill-conceived actions by US officials over the years. This article and the heavy sourcing it links to provides a more objective assessment that help see things from other perspectives.”

You’re right. The US tends to quickly forget the slights and insults, the ‘power moves’ the US likes to do with other countries and then expect other countries to negotiate in good faith.

Russia no doubt strongly suspects western involvement in the sudden attack on it’s nuclear bombers; which wouldn’t worry The Ukraine at all, since they are well within missile range and any nuclear attack would come from missiles.
Add to that the sudden attack on Iran, both during alleged negotiation with the west, and any sane country wouldn’t negotiate with the west, either.


96 posted on 07/13/2025 9:19:40 PM PDT by rottweiller_inc (Lupus urbem intravit. Fulminis ictu vultures super turrem exanimat.)
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To: cowboyusa

You sound like a neocon.


97 posted on 07/13/2025 10:47:22 PM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2025... RETURN OF THE JEDI….There’s really not much to)
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To: dpetty121263

Trump You Magnificent B@stard I read your BOOK!


98 posted on 07/14/2025 1:14:43 AM PDT by ichabod1 (lets change our name to the United States of Trump!)
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To: Leaning Right

I’m starting to understand that wars happen based on what leaders of governments and the people choose to belive to be be facks and what the other side leaders and people choose to belive to be facks.


99 posted on 07/14/2025 1:17:41 AM PDT by ichabod1 (lets change our name to the United States of Trump!)
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To: blitz128

Those people were victims of the Stalin cult. They had to do what they were told or die. But Russia needed a buffer zone. Just like now.


100 posted on 07/14/2025 1:19:50 AM PDT by ichabod1 (lets change our name to the United States of Trump!)
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