Posted on 08/19/2025 8:29:02 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The combination of that weird summit in Alaska with Vladimir Putin and the only slightly less bizarre gathering of NATO leaders in Washington, was the latest reminder that U.S. President Donald Trump is a terrible negotiator, a true master of the “art of the giveaway.” He doesn’t prepare, doesn’t have subordinates lay the groundwork beforehand, and arrives at each meeting not knowing what he wants or where his red lines are. He has no strategy and isn’t interested in the details, so he just wings it.
As we learned during his first term, when he wasted time on those irrelevant reality-show meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, all Trump really craves is attention, coupled with dramatic visuals that suggest he is in charge. The substance of any deal he might make is secondary if not irrelevant, which is why some of the trade agreements he’s recently announced are less favorable for the United States than he claims.
The only reason that anyone pays any attention to Trump’s erratic diplomatic blundering is that he happens to be the president of the world’s most powerful country, and cowardly members of Congress from the cult-like Republican Party continue to indulge his every whim. But when lightweights like Trump, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and amateur diplomat Steve Witkoff go up against the likes of Russian President Vladimir Putin or Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, you should expect the latter side to pick U.S. pockets cleanly.
Just ask yourself: Is there anything Trump got for the United States, its allies, or Ukraine when he met with Putin in Alaska? Did Putin give anything up? For that matter, what concessions did Trump get from those European leaders who showed up to persuade him not to abandon Ukraine?
(Excerpt) Read more at foreignpolicy.com ...
Stephen M. Walt, is the Robert and Renée Belfer professor of international relations at Harvard University.
FROM THE AUTHOR:
Conducting a successful negotiation with a serious adversary requires a cold-blooded and ruthlessly realistic assessment of each side’s interests, power, and resolve. You aren’t going to charm a leader like Putin into making concessions just because he likes you or because you’ve rolled out a red carpet on the tarmac, and you aren’t going to get anywhere by indulging in wishful thinking or making threats or promises that nobody takes seriously...
Those who cannot do, teach.
Next!
Stephan is an idiot.
Yup, cause PDJT keeps proving ha has no clue. Right? 🤔😂😂😂😂😂😂
Another braindead Harvie.
Bravo! You nailed it! President Trump knows more about real diplomacy than this Harvard boy will ever known in 10 lifetimes.
Is there a more useless institution on the face of the planet than Harvard University?
How many wars has this guy stopped? How many trade deals has he made? He should go back to his classroom where he can lecture with no regard for reality.
What an ass
Professor who has never negotiated anything more than his own salary, and who’s professional interest is “theory of foreign policy,” tells the master who write the book on the deal, how to do it.
“Mr Trump critic” couldn’t negotiate his way out of a paper bag, with an unlimited amount of money & munitions.
We don’t have an unlimited amount of either, hence the peace proposals from realists.
How much money does he have?
How much money does Donald Trump have?
Those idiots at Harvard should bend over and get reamed.
Not that they don’t almost every day on campus.
Those who cannot do or teach become politicians.
Yeah, Stephen M. Walt, why don’t you list your impressive foreign policy accomplishments? I’m waiting to be astounded.
He had a few valid points about Trump winging it and the dangers.
Then he showed he’s just another leftist hate clown, about the “cult” republican party, on and on.
And as for Trump not knowing and not caring about details, he has no idea that’s true.
From what I can gather about the recent meetings, Trump mainly got Putin to agree to security arrangements for Ukraine. That was the breakthrough. Then he took down Putin’s list of demands and went back to the Europeans.
Calling the subsequent meeting with NATO leaders “bizarre” Ed the end of the author’s credibility.
Why do I think a search would unveil this phoney has supported the disastrous foreign policies of every democrat.
And those who can’t teach, teach gym.
I wonder what this guy thinks is the reason for Trump’s success in getting conflicts resolved, to the point that a lot of people all over the world have nominated him from a Nobel Peace Prize.
Rolling out the red carpet doesn’t charm Putin into making concessions, but it tells him that you respect him and listen to what he says he needs. And THAT is what brings him to the table to discuss further.
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