Putin assembles elite negotiating team for high-stakes talks with Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin is assembling a team of seasoned negotiators, each with decades of experience, to engage with representatives of US President Donald Trump in talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

Among the key figures is Yuri Ushakov, Putin's top foreign-policy adviser, who brings over 50 years of diplomatic experience, and Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia's intelligence agency, who served alongside Putin in the Soviet KGB (Committee for State Security), Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Kirill Dmitriev, a financier with ties to Putin's family and education from Stanford and Harvard, could play a crucial role in facilitating unofficial communications with Trump's team.

The choice to rely on such highly skilled and experienced negotiators signals Putin’s determination to secure a favourable deal and indicates that his stance on Ukraine might remain largely unchanged since the full-scale invasion three years ago. The inclusion of Dmitriev, who brings experience from his time in the US and with major firms like McKinsey & Co. and Goldman Sachs, shows that Putin is prepared to adjust his approach when dealing with the unconventional US president. 

In contrast, Trump’s team lacks the same depth of understanding of Ukraine and has minimal direct negotiation experience with Russia. With the path to a deal still uncertain and Putin showing no signs of making major concessions, these gaps could pose significant challenges at the negotiating table.

Ushakov, 77, has been a trusted aide to Putin for over twelve years, and prior to that, served as the Russian ambassador to the US from 1998 to 2008, giving him valuable insights into Washington. Naryshkin, 70, has been a close confidante of Putin for over four decades.

“Andrey Sushentsov, the dean of the School of International Relations at MGIMO University in Moscow, said, ‘Ushakov knows the American establishment well and has significant influence in Moscow. He’s the best person for ‘big negotiations’ in the classical sense.’”

Naryshkin recently revealed that the Kremlin had already instructed continued contact with US intelligence services following the recent call between Trump and Putin. Both Ushakov and Naryshkin played key roles in initial ceasefire discussions with Ukraine after Russia’s invasion began in 2022.

By Naila Huseynova