Russia has decided to play with MICE – Money, Ideology, Compromise, and Ego – in negotiating with Trump:
MOSCOW TIMES reports Russia plans to include a Trump Tower Moscow to get what they want from Trump. 🤔
Should be another huge scandal. Won’t be. The normalization of corruption has sunk in deep. This is how countries fall. 🇺🇸
www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/04/21/t…— Opheliasblue (@opheliasblue.bsky.social) April 22, 2025 at 3:30 PM
From The Moscow Times: (emphasis mine)
As Moscow prepares for possible negotiations with Washington aimed at ending its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it is seeking a far more ambitious outcome than a mere ceasefire: a global reordering of spheres of influence.
In the Kremlin’s view, such an agreement would effectively mean U.S. recognition of Russian dominance in the post-Soviet space — including Ukraine — and, to some extent, an acknowledgment of its influence in Europe.
To secure that goal, the Kremlin is now scouring for incentives it believes can catch and hold President Donald Trump’s attention, ranging from rare earths deals and geopolitical leverage in Iran and North Korea to a long-dreamed-of Trump Tower in Moscow.
Five current Russian government officials, including two diplomats, three sources close to the Kremlin and employees of three major state-owned companies confirmed this to The Moscow Times, all speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
“The main thing is that they [the Americans] don’t interfere in our affairs and don’t tell us how to live,” said a senior Russian official familiar with the Kremlin’s negotiating logic. “That they don’t hinder us in doing what we are doing.”
The Kremlin, recognizing the limitations of its negotiating position, has tasked officials and experts with analyzing and identifying all possible incentives that could grab Trump’s interest and keep the talks from narrowing to a limited agenda.
With few remaining levers, Moscow sees the war in Ukraine as its most potent bargaining chip, and officials hope to take advantage of Trump’s eagerness to secure a ceasefire.
“We need to milk Trump as much as possible, dangling the possibility of a ceasefire like a carrot before him,” one participant in the discussions said.
There is little illusion about the fragility of this opportunity.
“The window may slam shut. Trump could lose interest or, worse, bear a grudge,” diplomats and officials who spoke to The Moscow Times agreed.
However, many in the Foreign Ministry and the Kremlin hold a different view.
“We are on the right track. The priority is to recalibrate relations with the United States — a task that is anything but simple — while keeping dialogue on Ukraine alive,” one Russian diplomat said. “From there, the situation on the ground will dictate the next moves. Ultimately, it’s all about time, patience and staying the course.”
Formally, the Kremlin has signaled a willingness to make concessions.
Officials see two main scenarios. The first is to agree to a Trump-brokered ceasefire in exchange for concessions like limitations on U.S. weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
“Though this doesn’t mean weapons won’t still come in via Europe,” one Russian diplomat cautioned.
The second: if talks collapse, blame Kyiv.
“If Russia refuses a ceasefire, we must be ready to once again face a united Western front, and in an even less favorable configuration for us,” another official warned.
And then there’s the idea of a Trump Tower in Moscow. Officials have brainstormed building a 150-story Trump Tower in Moscow City, the capital’s business district. The project could be quickly launched, and Trump himself could participate in the groundbreaking.
“Speed, impact and showiness: those are things Trump intuitively values,” said a source close to the Kremlin. This all the more so given that Trump’s team and Russian officials had discussed this project in the past, he added.
Across all of these proposals, the Kremlin is guided by a single axiom: initiatives must be personally tailored to Trump, achievable within a single term and offer strong media appeal.
“Without that,” said a senior Russian official, “it’s naive to expect any progress.”
More at the link.
President Zelenskyy did not give an address today. He did do a press conference.
Zelenskyy offered a new partnership model to the United States.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) April 22, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Here’s the video:
War for Ukraine Day 1,153: Russia Plays with MICEPost + Comments (15)
