Russian special services systematically use psychological and neurolinguistic influence methods developed back in the KGB era to work with Western political leaders. General of the Army of Ukraine, former head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, Mykola Malomuzh, has revealed how they work in a comment to Kyiv24.
Behavioral modeling and "pressure points"
Malomuzh claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s team deliberately uses Soviet-era techniques during contacts and negotiations with US President Donald Trump.
According to the general, the algorithm of actions of Russian special services looks as follows:
- detailed study of the psychological profile of the target;
- analysis of the full biography, behavior style, fears, phobias, and vulnerabilities;
- subsequent pressure on these “pressure points” in order to influence decision-making.
“They do not simply negotiate. They model behavior and calculate reactions in advance,” Malomuzh explains.
Sharp change in the US position as an example of influence
As an example of the effectiveness of this approach, the general cited the sharp change in Trump's position on Ukraine. This happened after the UN General Assembly, when the US president swore support for Ukraine and said he would provide all types of weapons, even Tomahawks.
“And then Putin spoke with Trump literally two days later, and he took Putin’s side. This is a real example of the influence of special services,” Malomuzh noted.
Earlier, former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army Valerii Zaluzhnyi described Russia's Gromyko method.
Gromyko, who served as Soviet Foreign Minister for over 40 years, employed his strategy whenever the USSR sought to extract maximum concessions from the West.
What West mistakes for Ukraine’s peace talks is Soviet psychological warfare: Ex-military chief reveals four stages of Russia’s Cold War–era “Gromyko Method”
The "tactic of exhaustion" earned him the nickname "Mr. No" among Western diplomats.
