Negotiating 101

Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 05:00
Updated
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 05:00
Timothy Snyder on Trump’s “negotiating” skills as reflected in his meeting with Zelensky yesterday: This piece by Will Saletan in the Bulwark is quite good as well: TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY, like his views on everything else, is about loyalty to Trump. He prefers a dictator who likes him to a freely elected leader who doesn’t. As Trump put it at a rally on Monday: “I don’t like anybody that doesn’t like me.” That’s why Trump likes Vladimir Putin. He knows Putin is trying to help him recapture the White House. On September 7, three days after the Justice Department exposed a Russian disinformation campaign designed to help Trump in this year’s election, Trump rebuked DOJ officials for the announcement. “They don’t look at China, and they don’t look at Iran,” he complained, falsely, at a rally in Wisconsin. “They look at Russia. I don’t know what it is with poor Russia.” Trump made it clear that he appreciated Putin’s help. With a wry smile, he noted: It’s not great for Ukraine that Trump sees Putin as his friend. But until this week, Trump also seemed to have a soft spot for Zelensky. He often praised Zelensky for standing by him during the Ukraine impeachment, when Trump was accused of coercing Zelensky in a phone call. “He was very honorable,” Trump told podcaster Shawn Ryan a month ago. Trump went on: Trump’s gratitude to Zelensky has influenced the way Trump talks about the Ukraine war. Earlier this month, Trump continued to say that he could work out a…