He must have turned a deaf ear to them, because had he heeded their advice, he would have learnt how experience had taught them that Russians consider any such concessions to be a sign of weakness.
Il a dû les ignorer, parce que s’il avait écouté leurs conseils, il aurait appris qu’ils savent, par expérience, que les Russes interprètent ces concessions comme un signe de faiblesse.