An Apolitical Human Capital Lens on the Trump-Zelensky Meeting
THE WHITE HOUSE, FEB 28, 2025
Press Conference Analysis: Trump, Zelensky, and the Dynamics of Power Negotiation
Looking at the February 28, 2025 White House press meeting between President Trump and President Zelensky, several important human capital questions came to mind, namely:
Did cultural differences/expectations cause the derailing of this meeting? It seems unlikely as President Zelensky has been wearing his military combat-ready outfit as a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian military since the beginning of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Historical precedents exist for such choices— British Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously wore an army-style air-raid uniform when visiting Washington, DC in 1943.
This situation, however, does remind us all to be wary of making generalizations about individual actions and communication until we’ve explored all the possible reasons for the statements and actions of others from different cultures.[i]
Was the disruption staged or spontaneous…and, if staged, for what possible purposes? It seems unlikely to have been spontaneous as both Presidents are seasoned politicians who are very experienced in complex negotiation settings. What could likely be the desired outcome by each of them individually to want such a scene?
President Trump’s Perspective: Could President Trump’s goals have been to wrap up a double win—gaining crucial access to rare earth mineral rights and positioning himself as the power broker bringing to an end a long-standing conflict within his first 100 days in office?
President Zelensky’s Perspective: Could President Zelensky’s goals have been to use a strategic power move to bolster perceptions so that he can gain a “reset” of negotiations more in his favor?
What power moves can a weaker negotiator do to improve outcome? President Trump was correct: President Zelensky’s cards are not strong. When a negotiator finds themselves invisible at the negotiation table, they can expect to be asked to make more concessions once they reach that final agreement stage. The power move that President Zelensky used includes classic maneuvers:
Make your value visible (Ukraine stands in the way of possible Russian forays into the Baltics, Poland, and beyond)
Raise the cost of the status quo (25 times Russia has signed agreements with Ukraine and broke them without consequences)
Exert control over the process, even if that means an interruption as interruptions are usually required in order for a weaker party to be heard (what will be different this time without security guarantees)
Enlist support (from allies, networks, coalitions, own constituents)[ii]
Even Zelensky’s clothing was part of of the theater of negotiation. In 1943 Winston Churchill wore his own version of a wartime uniform–the siren suit–when he came to enlist support from President Roosevelt.
What’s incredibly sad, no matter what the answers are to these questions above, is that nearly one million Ukrainian and Russian people have died in the last three years because of this conflict.[iii] Furthermore, these situations carry the risk of escalation spreading to more countries, creating further conflicts, and costing even more lives. Let’s hope that such is not the case this time.
[i] Moore, C., & Woodrow, P. (April 1998). Mapping Cultures—Strategies for Effective Intercultural Negotiations. Track Two, 7(1),
[ii] Kolb, D. The Shadow Negotiation. Simon & Schuster, 2000.
[iii] deJong, J. (February 19, 2025). How Many People Have Died in the Russia-Ukraine War? Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/people-died-casualties-russia-ukraine-war-update-2033371
