"Gromyko's Tactics": Kremlin's methods that drove Trump into a Russian trap

Lavrov's sweatshirt with the inscription "USSR" was a message that Americans understood only after the fact. They understood it after Putin & Co. smashed Trump's "art of deal-making" with a face on the Soviet diplomacy label.

For decades, Soviet diplomacy has been honing its tactics of brutal blackmail and pressure. Their approach has not changed since the days of Gromyko, of whom Henry Kissinger said: "To negotiate with him without knowing all the details of the problem is tantamount to suicide.".

This tactic is easily understood from a quote by Gromyko himself: "First. Demand everything to the maximum and don't be shy in your requests. Demand what you have never been entitled to. Second. Put forward ultimatums. Threaten war, do not spare threats, and offer negotiations as a way out of the situation. There will always be people in the West who will fall for it. Third. Once you start negotiations, don't give up a single step. They will offer you part of what you asked for. But even then, don't agree, but squeeze out more. They will go for it.".

It seems that this tactic has made Trump's ultimatums and threats to the world live from Alaska null and void. And the Trump team's attempts to present this grandiose faux pas as a victory only further highlights the current White House's inability to outplay the Kremlin.

This inability is due to Trump's own personality, which does not prepare for negotiations and despises experts on any issue. In addition, he does not like long and boring negotiations, and his inability to concentrate has long been known to the Russians.

Thus, the outcome of the meeting in Alaska should definitely be studied by future diplomats.

In particular, as an example of the use of the "Gromyko tactic" and the loss of strategic advantage and political capital invested by Trump. For our negotiators, this example should also serve as a lesson in the falsity of the "just look the other way" tactic. However, I hope that this is already clear to everyone. Just as it is clear that we need to have a position with justifications for all the ridiculous accusations about the "sources of the conflict.".

But this consistency in the use of negotiation tactics also reveals the predictability of the Russians. Their clichés and methods are known, although they should not be taken lightly.

The main trap that Trump has fallen into is the framework imposed by Putin. Linking the cessation of hostilities to a major peace agreement that takes into account, in Putin's words, "a fair balance of European and global security.".

This linkage may mean that the end of the war will now depend not only on Ukraine's concessions, but also on the concessions Putin expects to receive from the West.

In this way, he is making Ukraine a hostage to the resolution of all his other concerns: from "NATO expansion" to "non-interference in political processes in the countries of the former USSR." He can also add a nonproliferation treaty to the list, and then he can easily drag out the negotiation process indefinitely without stopping the fighting.

The only thing that the "master of deal-making" managed to do was to refrain from making a "deal" and not discuss trade until an agreement on Ukraine is reached. And this is good news for us, as Trump is not limited by anything and can change his views and promises with his usual ease.

Will Trump change his rhetoric again after meeting with European leaders? Will they be able to "re-enchant" him and format the frame imposed by Putin?

There is a chance.

I think that after the meeting in Alaska, we can give Trump the coveted Nobel Peace Prize, so that he will not meet with Putin anymore and will agree to continue to supply weapons in exchange for "wonderful" European checks. For us, as well as for Europeans, this would be the best option .

They won't mind, really. Israeli leaders Levi Eshkol in 1967 and Benjamin Netanyahu in 2025 did the same thing: they listened to the cries from the White House, but conducted negotiations and wars in their own way. Neither of them destroyed "transatlantic unity.".

At the same time, the worst option is to hold a trilateral meeting between Zelenskyy, Trump, and Putin at this stage. This is a trap with no way out, and I hope that I am not the only one who realizes this.

This format is possible only when everything has been agreed upon, when there are texts of agreements, when joint teams from our side have worked on the agreements beforehand.

Negotiations with the Russians should be conducted by a united Europe, where each ally has its own knowledge of how to circumvent Russian technology. Something from us, something from the French, something from the British.

It's hard to imagine, but it will be even harder to go through with it and achieve peace. Peace not on Putin's terms, but peace with which we can live and develop Ukraine.

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