The U.S. and Russia are negotiating in bad faith

The U.S. and Russian delegations that just met in Istanbul had made it clear that they were there to discuss the normalization of their diplomatic missions’ work, not the war in Ukraine.

But such engagement is a clear corollary to U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate an end to the war.



The problem is that, with the exception of Trump, who dreams of winning a Nobel Peace Prize, no party with a stake in the war — not Russia, not Ukraine and not the European Union — wants to end the conflict now. No one is satisfied with their negotiating position and everyone’s reputation is on the line. Ukraine’s options are particularly unappealing.

Despite its valiant resistance to Russia’s assault, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in no position to secure his desired outcomes: recovery of all territories occupied or annexed by Russia (including Crimea) and full NATO membership (with ironclad security guarantees). This was true under Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, but Trump has all but ruled out such demands, calling them impractical..