Kateryna Hirnyk13:37, 30.03.25

Putin is offering Trump what he wants most.

Vladimir Putin is seeking to advance his own agenda by playing on US President Donald Trump’s obsession with being seen as a master of deal-making. According to The Times , Putin’s strategy to “seduce” Trump and win him over is becoming increasingly clear – Putin knows how to work with people, and his strategy is to offer Trump what he wants most.

Putin’s persuasion strategy – key points

As The Times notes, Putin’s negotiating strategy is built around three axes, all of which correspond to Trump’s personal inclinations. First, Moscow signals its willingness to continue the peace process initiated by the American president, but demands concessions at every step.

Second, Putin is playing on Trump’s dislike of President Zelensky and their shared belief that Ukraine should be treated not as a sovereign state but as a subordinate state whose assets should be divided between them:

“In essence, Putin is offering Trump the subsoil of Ukraine in exchange for a share of its territory and a vote in its governance.”

The third axis for Putin is to exploit Trump’s distrust of the European Union, which he claimed was “created to deceive the United States.”

Flattery works.

“Beyond simple flattery, it offers the US president the opportunity to indulge his ego, not only to see himself as the chief mediator, but also to use America’s superpower status to reshape the world to his own liking,” the publication writes.

Thus, Putin described Trump’s desire to annex Greenland as “serious” and with “deep historical roots,” while declaring that “it has nothing to do with us.” With these words, Putin simultaneously encouraged Trump’s eccentric ambitions and made it clear that Moscow would stay out of the picture.

The promise of profit

Thus, Moscow supported the draft US demand for control over Ukraine’s subsoil. One Russian parliamentarian described the proposed deal as “a completely natural pleasure, payment for services rendered.”

In addition, the prospect of American oil and gas companies returning to Russia is being discussed. Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, even offered American firms the opportunity to partner in developing the Arctic. The publication also recalls attempts to convince American investors to take control of the campaign to build the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

As one former US official put it, the goal is to “make Trump feel that Putin is eager to give American businesses special access and opportunities because he is a master of deal-making.”

Blame others

As The Times notes, Putin’s behavior suggests that he is not planning a fixed end to the war. He maintains his maximalist goal of wanting to see Ukraine under Moscow’s firm control and is trying to make the most profitable deal possible by holding on to occupied territories and leaving Ukraine vulnerable to Russian threats and interference.

At the same time, if the negotiations fail, he will try to shift the blame onto someone else – Volodymyr Zelenskyy or the Europeans:

“Trump furiously angry at either of them for thwarting his initiative (and depriving him of the Nobel Peace Prize he is rumored to be seeking) would be almost as good for Putin as a successful deal.”

Putin and Trump – relationship

The Times previously suggested that Trump may have finally realized that Putin was not even remotely interested in ending the war, which is why he made even more predatory demands on Ukraine.

The publication believes that it is important for Trump to be able to blame President Zelensky if a ceasefire agreement is not reached . Therefore, putting forward an unacceptable proposal is one way to ensure that any failure will be blamed on Ukraine, and not on Russia or Trump himself.

(C)UNIAN 2025