Putin Appoints Sergey Beseda for U.S. Negotiations
Russian President Vladimir Putin has selected Sergey Beseda—who previously fell out of favor with the Kremlin—to help negotiate with the U.S. Newsweek has compiled what we know about him.
Why It Matters
Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv are currently engaged in negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war. These discussions are set to continue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday, with a key focus on ensuring safe navigation in the Black Sea.
Leading the Russian delegation will be Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council’s international affairs committee, and Beseda, an advisor to the Federal Security Service (FSB) director, according to Russian presidential aide for international affairs Yury Ushakov.
“These are highly experienced negotiators who understand international issues well,” Ushakov told journalists.
Who Is Sergey Beseda?
Beseda is a veteran intelligence officer who reportedly clashed with Putin over faulty intelligence before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to The Moscow Times.
Russian journalist Andrei Soldatov, an expert on the country’s security services, reported that Beseda was placed under house arrest at the time. He claimed the FSB attempted to downplay the situation, portraying it as a routine questioning of the powerful general.
“But now I’ve learned from my sources that this ‘mere questioning’ didn’t save Beseda from a cell in Lefortovo Prison,” Soldatov wrote in an opinion piece.
A former FSB employee and acquaintance of Beseda later told Important Stories that he officially retired from his role as head of the FSB’s Fifth Service due to age. He was subsequently appointed as a personal adviser to FSB director Alexander Bortnikov.
Mark Galeotti, author of Putin’s Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine, argued that Beseda was not necessarily replaced due to failures in the early stages of the Ukraine war.
“He reached the compulsory retirement age of 70. Although he could have remained in his position by presidential decree, he didn’t have the political capital to secure that extension,” Galeotti explained.
However, Galeotti noted that Beseda was not entirely sidelined, having been appointed as an adviser to the FSB director—typically a sinecure. “Had the government wanted to signal clear displeasure, it would have denied him this courtesy,” he added.
What People Are Saying
Following a call with U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on Wednesday, Ushakov commented on the upcoming negotiations:
“Mr. Waltz and I agreed that expert consultations in a bilateral format will take place in Riyadh on Monday, March 24. The Russian delegation will include Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee head Grigory Karasin and FSB advisor Sergey Beseda.”
Ushakov also noted that the discussions will begin with exploring prospects for implementing an initiative on Black Sea navigation safety.
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