Publications
Publications
- January 11, 2023
- ForeignAffairs.com
Russia and Ukraine Are Not Ready for Talks: But They Might Get There If Ukraine Keeps Winning
By: James K. Sebenius and Michael Singh
Abstract
While there are many calls for negotiation between Ukraine and Russia to end their war, there does now (early 2023) not appear to be a zone of possible agreement (ZOPA), since each side's best no-agreement option ("BATNA") likely appears superior to any mutually acceptable deal (and, of course, neither side is monolithic and assessing the full set of interests at stake is challenging). To open up a ZOPA for the possibility of successful diplomacy, interested parties such as the United States and its allies should act to simultaneously enhance Ukraine's no-agreement option, worsen Russia's, as well as to begin to prepare agreements that will become appealing and a process to enable effective negotiation when/as the situation permits.
Keywords
Citation
Sebenius, James K., and Michael Singh. "Russia and Ukraine Are Not Ready for Talks: But They Might Get There If Ukraine Keeps Winning." ForeignAffairs.com (January 11, 2023).