FT: Trump Dropped A Key Demand On Ukraine That The Kremlin Had Requested

• 3.11.2026, 22:52

The U.S. will not insist on territorial concessions from Ukraine during the negotiations.

The U.S. has made it clear that it will not pressure Ukraine to agree to cede territory at the negotiating table. This was reported on November 3 by the Financial Times on November 3, citing two people familiar with the negotiations.

Previously, Washington had linked future security guarantees for Ukraine to territorial concessions.

At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously acknowledged for the first time that Russia also needs security guarantees as part of a potential peace agreement. The publication called this a significant shift amid a new diplomatic push by the U.S.

Next week in Abu Dhabi, the first direct trilateral talks in nine months are set to take place between representatives of the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia. The meetings are scheduled for November 10 and 11. According to U.S. Special Representative Steve Whitcoff, the parties will discuss post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian issues, and further steps toward peace.

In addition, U.S. negotiators will hold meetings in Brussels this week with representatives from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and NATO. According to Whitcoff, they will discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, Europe’s post-war security architecture, and economic opportunities to support Ukraine’s recovery.

At the same time, as the FT notes, Vladimir Putin, the illegitimate president of the aggressor country Russia, shows no signs of being willing to soften his hardline negotiating stance, which is hindering the achievement of a peace agreement, the publication points out.