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How do diplomats negotiate to end an armed conflict? How do they work to (re)establish dialogue that includes armed groups and ‘demonized’ actors? What practices are used to avoid long-lasting rounds of negotiations between inflexible interlocutors? What impact do the timing and venue of negotiations have on interactions? These questions were asked to a French diplomat experienced in complex negotiations. Pierre Vimont joined the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the end of the 1970s and held some of the most prestigious diplomatic positions (London, Brussels, Washington). Throughout his career, he served as chief of staff to several foreign affairs ministers, French representative to the European Union, ambassador to the United States, architect of the creation of the European External Action Service, and special envoy of the President to Russia. He was involved in critical issues such as negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, France’s opposition to the Iraq war, the release of civilian hostages, and the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.