Putin’s secretive spymaster emerges as key figure in US-Russia Ukraine peace talks

Russian spy chief Beseda leads Ukraine talks with Trump administration.

Col. Gen. Sergei Beseda, a reclusive veteran of Russian intelligence known to the CIA as “the Baron,” has re-emerged as a central figure in US-Russia relations, now leading high-stakes negotiations over Ukraine with the Trump administration. Once confined to secretive prisoner swap talks—such as those that freed journalist Evan Gershkovich and basketball star Brittney Griner—Beseda has stepped into the spotlight as Vladimir Putin's handpicked envoy, symbolising Moscow’s deepening reliance on its spy apparatus over traditional diplomacy, the Wall Street Journal reported.

A shadow figure becomes public

Beseda’s surprise appearance last month at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, during 13-hour-long negotiations, marks a major evolution for the career intelligence officer, whose operations have long remained hidden. Now, he stands at the forefront of geopolitical talks that could reshape US-Russia relations and Ukraine’s future. Analysts say his involvement signals Putin’s intent to anchor control of Ukraine through intelligence channels, bypassing the Russian foreign ministry.

US and Ukrainian officials view Beseda’s role with suspicion. He is accused of helping orchestrate the 2014 crackdown on pro-Western protesters in Kyiv and manipulating pre-war polling to justify Russia’s 2022 invasion. Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, once called him “the most dangerous Russian.”

From Havana to Ankara: a lifetime in espionage

Beseda’s decades-long career began in the KGB’s American section during the Cold War, where he cultivated backchannels to the CIA. Fluent in Spanish and Italian, his assignments included service in Cuba and diplomatic missions to Serbia. He earned his moniker “the Baron” for his taste in custom suits and cigars, and developed a rapport with American counterparts in clandestine meetings across Europe and the Middle East.

These meetings produced key prisoner exchanges, including the high-profile 2022 trade of Brittney Griner for arms dealer Viktor Bout. In 2024, he negotiated the release of 24 detainees, including Gershkovich, in an exchange that many feared would collapse if his name were revealed.

Spy over diplomat: Putin’s new diplomatic model

Beseda’s appointment reflects a broader shift in Russian diplomacy. The Kremlin has sidelined foreign ministry figures like Sergei Lavrov in favour of intelligence operatives with direct access to Putin. His presence at the Ukraine peace talks, where Russia demanded sanctions relief before agreeing to a Black Sea cease-fire, was seen as a show of resolve and control from the Kremlin.

Unlike past diplomatic meetings, Beseda’s involvement comes with calculated theatricality. His FSB team has worked with US intelligence in secluded hotels with no phones or press, reminiscent of Cold War channels. At one 2021 meeting with US Ambassador John Sullivan, Beseda left the room saying, “I’m FSB—I can find out everything.”

A spy’s fall and return

After Russia’s failure to topple the Ukrainian government in 2022, rumours swirled that Beseda had been imprisoned at Lefortovo, the same Moscow jail used for political detainees like Gershkovich. Yet he resurfaced unexpectedly in later negotiations, telling American officials with a grin: “Rumours of my demise are greatly exaggerated.”

He now serves as an adviser to FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov and remains one of the few Russians with direct access to Putin. Intelligence veterans say that every detail of the prisoner swaps—and now Ukraine peace talks—is controlled by the FSB, with Beseda at the centre.

Backchannel diplomacy in a new era

The evolution of Beseda from a silent spymaster to a high-profile negotiator reflects a transformed model of Russian diplomacy, one built not on embassies or foreign ministries but on intelligence dominance and personal loyalty to Putin. While many in the West remain wary of trusting him, Beseda’s prominence signals that, for now, the Kremlin’s most sensitive negotiations will run through the hands of its spies—not its diplomats.