The Global Story The hostage negotiator’s guide to making deals with Putin’s Russia
9 snips
Dec 31, 2025 
Roger Carstens, Former Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, shares his insights from negotiating with adversaries, especially Russia. He highlights the importance of empathy, trust, and building human connections in successful negotiations. Carstens recounts dramatic hostage cases, including the intricate logistics behind the swaps of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner. He discusses the motivations behind wrongful detentions and emphasizes that direct talks are crucial, even when dealing with leaders like Putin.
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Start By Listening And Building Trust
- Listen first and bring your full self into high-stakes talks to build trust.
- Use humility and engagement to let even adversaries feel heard before proposing solutions.
Centralize Hostage Recovery Efforts
- The U.S. created a single empowered focal point (SPIHA) after failing to recover Americans from ISIS.
- Centralizing negotiators improved family communication and allowed engagement even with terrorist groups.
Find Who Holds The Jail Cell Key
- Identify who actually controls the detainee to know who you must negotiate with.
- Tailor your approach depending on whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Justice, or intelligence services hold the key.
