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AP Photo / German Government / Steffen Kugler
MOSCOW, 24 Jul — RIA Novosti. The President of the United States Donald trump is not supposed to meet with Vladimir Putin one on one, writes in Politico, the Deputy Director on scientific work of the Center for a new American security Lauren DeJong Shulman.
“Two basic rules of foreign policy: do not get involved in land in Asia, and never hold a meeting tete-a-tete with your opponent, not prepared properly,” she writes.
The author means the media described in the second match trump and Putin at the G20 summit in Hamburg. In particular, as written by Reuters, citing a White house official, the us President, has talks with his Russian counterpart, approached Putin at the end of dinner with other G20 leaders and spoke with him informally.
The official noted that it was a short conversation, not a full meeting, and to conceal his White house haven’t tried.
The NY Times, meanwhile, writes that the conversation lasted an hour, and trump was without an interpreter.
Shulman noted that the media reacted to this meeting too hysterically, and experts, as often happens in controversial moments, brought criticism of trump to the absolute values — they say that presidents never meet tete-a-tete, and in the “good old days” this was not.
Of course, presidents can meet in this format, says Shulman. However, Trump, the newcomer in the international arena, would be well advised to think twice before unprepared to enter into negotiations “with such a cunning opponent,” like Putin, she said.
According to her, bilateral negotiations, including their themes and deviations from them, always very carefully planned, with the preparation involved a huge number of people. Lists of those who will be present at the meeting, is also carefully analyzed. And the most important task of such people is to document what is discussed during negotiations.
Meeting at which there is no reporting enables more cunning of the two interlocutors to choose the interpretation which is more in line with his interests, says Shulman.
She stressed that improvisation in serious negotiations happen, but only if the participant is skilled enough — in this case, “unplanned moments help to break the barriers.”
However, trump’s impromptu was dangerous, says Shulman, and here’s why: maybe the American President, and considers himself a master at closing deals, but his inexperience in international negotiations is unquestionable. Diplomatic skills of Putin, by contrast, amounts to many years.
“Trump has, shall we say, problems with memory when it comes to its statements and commitments, Putin is known for incredible memory and an amazing ability to pay attention to details,” notes Shulman.
The fact that the US President is not involved in the negotiations of his adviser on national security issues Herbert McMaster or the head of the state Department Rex Tillerson, is a public blow to their reputation, too. And the fact that trump isn’t having the transcript of the conversation, refuses to provide his interpretation of the meeting with Putin, “excuses and waves away”, it makes him look like a fool, concludes the author.