Geopolitics is not just about winning wars, deterring others, and conducting diplomacy. It also revolves around striking deals, using leverage, and indulging others. The 21st-century international politics is centered around the concept of the art of the deal, which explicates how leaders are engaging with one another and making deals in the best interest of their nation. No doubt, in this multi-polar world, numerous actors are playing their roles on the international stage. But the most prominent of them is the complex relation between the US and Russia. Both are considered great powers, vying for influence, strength, and political sway in the international arena.
The US-Russia relations have always been strained throughout the course of history. Whether it is the Cold War or the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US and Russia are facing each other in both military and economic spheres. The post-Cold War era witnessed the rise of America as the sole superpower of the world, while Russia under Vladimir Putin went into hibernation to revive its past position of eminence. Up until today, the US-Russia relations have been marked with deterrence, compellence, sanctions, and a war of narratives.
The Trump revival in international politics in 2025 marked a significant shift from the previous administration of President Biden. Let’s dive into the complex interplay of the personality traits of President Trump and Vladimir Putin and their impact on geopolitics.
Individual Level of Analysis
International politics is structured around three key levels of analysis: individual, state, and systemic. The individual levels of analysis form the basis of any political event. It emphasizes the personality traits of politicians, leaders, and decision makers, and how these traits influence geopolitical behavior and dynamics.
The Trump Approach: A Deal Maker
In his book, “The Art of the Deal (1987), President Trump has provided a blend of business and politics. His book is centered around the idea that deal-making is an art, and a person mastering it can mold the situation to his/her favor. Key personality traits that Trump uses while striking deals in global politics are given below:
- Think Big
President Trump is a firm believer in daring declarations and assertions. In his words, “I like thinking big. I always have to.” To me, it’s really straightforward: if you’re already going to be thinking, you might as well think big.” By making big plans and dictating the terms, Trump is trying to make the messy world of geopolitics into a simple ‘win.’
It is as if he wants everybody to play by his game plan. Its finest expression may come in the form of Trump’s dramatic actions shortly after taking up the Oval Office in January 2025. He declared that his peace plan can end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours, declared that he is creating a Golden Dome defense system, and is “Making America Great Again.”
- Think Worst
It refers to anticipating the worst-case scenario when negotiating with counterparts. This would enable you to swallow the negative repercussions at the end of the transaction, and the fear of losing will be less compared to earlier. Trump says, “I always go into the deal expecting the worst… If you prepare for the worst—if you can tolerate the worst—the good will always take care of itself.”
This is such a salient trait in Trump’s political philosophy, where on one hand, he wishes to conclude the war in Ukraine, but on the other, he exerted pressure, imposed sanctions, severed trade with those engaging with Russia, and made stern comments against Putin. Therefore, he attempts to do worse, to get something positive out of it.
- Maximize Options
This characteristic means that when negotiating, whether friends or enemies, there has to be a plan B or plan C in case your bargaining partner is not ready to negotiate on your terms. The multiple choices may reduce pressure and enable one to proceed to another one.
Trump observed, “I never get too attached to one deal or one approach…I keep a lot of balls in the air.” Consider tariffs on China as an illustration. They became a pressure tool and negotiating vehicle, assisting him in moving from escalating it to agreeing on it. Likewise, in the Iranian case, he progressed from maximum pressure to suggesting a desire to talk.
- Use Leverage
Applying leverage means negotiating a deal in such a manner that your weaknesses and shortcomings shouldn’t be exposed. Instead, leverage your available power and strength to make the other party agree to your terms. What does your counterpart need at the moment that is the best leverage to apply? In accordance with Trump, “The worst thing you can possibly do in a deal is seem desperate… The best thing you can do is deal from strength, and leverage is the biggest strength you can have.”
Its strongest example might be Trump’s signaling anti-NATO realignments, announcing that people who don’t pay well, won’t get any assistance during the hour of need. Trump invokes the cancellation of NATO Article (V) if the allies fail to boost their budget expenditures.
- Fight Back
It means when the situation gets out of control and there isn’t any way, then you have to confront in a much stronger way. If your counterpart is not willing to make a deal or cooperate in any case, then do whatever is worst you can with your counterpart. Trump believes, “Much as it pays to emphasize the positive, there are times when the only choice is confrontation… when people treat me badly or unfairly… my general attitude… has been to fight back very hard.”
This trait was very much apparent during the initial Russia-Ukraine talks brokered by President Trump. Where President Zelensky was not ready to make a deal in accordance with Trump’s Peace plan. As a result, Trump took his administration out form peace efforts and blocked all kinds of military and economic aid to Ukraine.
The Putin Strategy: A Chess Player
Russian President Vladimir Putin was a KGB intelligence officer for 16 years. He has been in charge of Russia for 26 years. That kind of experience makes you very confident. It makes you outmaneuver your opponents because negotiation is like any other skill- the more you practice, the better you are at it. And Putin has his own playbook to do just that. His personality is comprised of three key negotiating styles: Delay, Intimidate, and Indulge.
- Make World Leaders Wait
One of the most salient aspects of President Putin’s leadership style is that he tends to keep his counterparts waiting before direct and indirect meetings. This falls under his psychological playbook, whereby he displays his supremacy and tests their patience. This stance simply implies that President Putin is a man of his own terms, where individuals are willing to approach him.
As of 2014, he kept the German Chancellor waiting for more than four hours before even beginning bilateral discussions on Ukraine. And then just a couple of years later, in 2020, he kept Pope Francis waiting for almost an hour on a visit to the Vatican.
- To Intimidate Leaders
President Putin always demonstrates his physical power through different stunts and acts. He frequently takes horse riding, swimming, martial arts, and sky diving to convey a message to his counterparts and the entire world that an individual who is physically powerful enough can’t be defeated in any political bargain. Likewise, he performs different stunts through different objects, as well as even animals, against his counterparts. The simple reason behind this is that Putin wishes to inform them that he is fully aware of his rivals’ vulnerabilities. In 2007, he took his black Labrador dog, Koni, into a meeting with Chancellor Merkel, fully aware that she had a phobia of dogs. The action made Merkel nervous, who later defined it as a deliberate move of intimidation.
- Aura with Humbleness
Despite being a dominant personality, President Putin has always been submissive with his counterparts in meetings and negotiations. Now, this can’t be accepted as a virtue. It’s a hidden strategy. What he does is that he sets an example to others that he is aware of when to be firm and when to be yielding. So, if the situation is manageable by polite behavior, he does the same. But if not, then he employs his intimidation and delaying tactics. For example, at the Alaska Summit of 2025, President Putin defended one of Trump’s largest assertions that if he (Trump) were president in 2022, Ukraine would not have been invaded.
Geopolitical Implications
When these two styles of leadership clash against each other, the global platform witnesses a huge impact. On one hand, President Trump’s aggressive, vague, and fast-paced decisions frequently contradict with Putin’s patience and long-term game. Also, Trump’s need for public approval and attraction often clash with Putin’s work-oriented and introverted type of personality. This combination of leadership style hasn’t been witnessed so far in geopolitics. It is less about the international structure and hegemony. Rather, it is more of big personalities bumping into one another with egos, vision, and individual strategic perspectives. Such a mix has rendered predictability extremely challenging; nobody can tell what their next move will be.
Conclusion
In essence, Trump’s passion for deal-making really ran into Putin’s mastery of power. It has now turned into a sort of geopolitical show, where both of these leaders put on their styles, often contradicting each other. Thus, leaving the rest of the world trying to figure out what it all meant. When you’ve got such strong personalities leading the global stage, it’s not just about the policies themselves. It’s really about the individuals and their vision behind all.
If you want to submit your articles and/or research papers, please visit the Submissions page.
To stay updated with the latest jobs, CSS news, internships, scholarships, and current affairs articles, join our Community Forum!
The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
He is pursuing a BS in International Relations programme from International Islamic University, Islamabad and has a keen interest in research works, policy analysis, defence and strategic studies and conflict resolution.