This article (LINK) claims that Putin doesn’t negotiate.
I’m not so sure about that.
Yes, he uses aggressive tactics. Yes, he rarely appears to compromise. And yes, he is definitely in it to win it. But does that mean he doesn’t negotiate?
Putin may not perform well in an integrative negotiation, a type of negotiation related to value creation so that both sides achieve their goals. This type of negotiation requires parties to explore and acknowledge each other’s wants and needs and, from what we know about Putin, that could be a stretch.
However, Putin may well excel at distributive negotiation, the type of negotiation where one party’s success comes at the expense of the other party’s.
Studies (including by Leanne ten Brinke of the University of California, Berkeley) have shown that people with psychopathy score very well in distributive negotiations, especially face to face, because they require a high level of competitiveness and a low level of agreeableness. The opposite is true for integrative negotiations.
So, while I’d have low expectations of Putin negotiating a fair international trade agreement, I’d be pretty keen for him to act on my behalf next time I buy a car.