‘Shocking Amateurism’ in US-Russia Negotiations

The atmosphere between Washington and Moscow has deteriorated in recent weeks. The two superpowers are exchanging harsh words, and a ceasefire deal in Ukraine seems far from reach. ‘This makes no sense; it’s pure amateurism,’ says Rob de Wijk from The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) in News Clearly’s Boekestijn en De Wijk.

The tone in communication between spokespersons and on social media has hardened since US President Trump suggested that his Russian counterpart Putin is unwilling to accelerate the peace process. Trump called Putin ‘completely deranged’ on his platform Truth Social after Russia launched another large-scale air attack on Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov dismissed Trump’s reaction as ‘a bit emotional,’ while Trump countered that Putin is ‘playing with fire’ and that ‘very bad things’ would have happened to Russia without him—prompting sharp responses from the Russians.

‘It’s total madness,’ says De Wijk. ‘These are supposed to be leaders of superpowers trying to negotiate a ceasefire, and they’re just insulting each other. This is pure amateurism.’

The amateurism doesn’t stop there. According to De Wijk, some of the US proposals for a ceasefire in Ukraine are poorly thought out—for example, recognizing Crimea as Russian territory. ‘No one considered the consequences for territorial waters and economic zones in the Black Sea,’ he says. ‘A ceasefire with Trump’s concessions could lead to a confrontation between NATO member Romania and Russia in the Black Sea. It’s shocking amateurism, and I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.’