How to Win Friends the Russian Way

“How to Win Friends and Influence People” was the title of a highly influential book by Dale Carnegie published in 1936 and still read today by people seeking to improve their chances of success. (The author was unrelated to Andrew Carnegie, the steel magnate, and in fact was the poster-child of the ‘self-made man’).

The recent visit to Moscow of king Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia marks a turning point in relations between the two countries — and by extension, the opposite turning point in relations between Riyadh and Washington. Saudi Arabia and Russia are the world’s largest oil exporters and recently, they agreed to cut production. If the two countries move closer over time, whether via their shared oil interests or for other reasons, this would mark an unprecedented shift in the world’s most volatile region. Recently it was revealed as part of the daily drip drip of ‘news’ about ‘Russiagate’ in the US, that acquaintances of Donald Trump had been negotiating with the Russians to build nuclear plants in Saudi Arabia, and the new King’s visit to Moscow could well have been part of the country’s long-range preparations for the end of its oil bonanza. (But why not turn to solar…?)

Fast forward to the press conference by the two country’s foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov and the younger but nearly as ubiquitous Adel al-Jubeir. The event was broadcast live by RT, and after a few minutes of watching al-Jubeir read a few sentences from a prepared statement, followed by Lavrov speaking without notes in Russian for an equal length of time, I came to the conclusion that Russia’s Foreign Minister was acting as consecutive interpreter for his guest. He appeared perfectly at ease in Arabic and having been an interpreter myself on occasion, I admired his ability to carry out this task flawlessly. (Simultaneous interpreting presents a different set of challenges….)

Was Russia’s top diplomat pinch-hitting for an interpreter who failed to show up, or had the press conference been organized this way from the start? Either way, it is worthy of note that the Russians were not standing on ceremony, as other diplomats would surely have done, convinced that only when each side has its own interpreter can they trust the result. This behavior fits into the larger picture of the Russian President’s way of interacting with foreign dignitaries, in an informal manner that implies equality, rather than the American way, in which familiarity on its part is not intended to erase inequality, but to emphasize it.

Anyone watching a clip from a Putin-organized forum involving foreigners will notice that he is rarely standing alone on the podium, but is seated as part of a panel. Russia Insider ran a video of the recent energy summit in which Putin told a joke whose message was that he didn’t want to be the only panel member to be interrogated by the audience of business people from around the world attending the event. (Putin is often seen answering a question with a joke, while an American president will only tell a joke in public on the occasion of the yearly Washington correspondents’ dinner, where for a night he is cast in the role of a stand-up comedian.)

Similarly, when Putin holds a press conference, he is usually seated in the middle of a long table together with the journalists rather than standing at a mike in front of them. When American presidents or high officials meet with journalists or foreign counterparts, it’s very structured and controlled, and there can never be any doubt who is top dog. I’m convinced that Putin’s informal style that demonstrates

his commitment to collegial relations between states goes a long way toward making friends for Russia.

The Soviet Union too had a deliberate outreach policy, organizing meetings and fora to which foreigners were invited, either as representatives of ‘brotherly parties’ or as ‘fellow travelers": people who had a favorable attitude — or even just an open mind – toward communism. Under President Putin, Russian outreach reflects the fact that countries are turning away from the hegemon toward a cooperative international scene, in which reciprocal respect is a matter of course.

Deena Stryker is an international expret, author and journalist that has been at the forefront of international politics for over thirty years, exlusively for the online journal “New Eastern Outlook”.