Trump Says Ukraine Must Prepare for Territorial Losses
Trump expects Ukraine to emerge from the war with a different shape as fresh US, Ukraine and Russia talks are set for Abu Dhabi.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in International Relations
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Trump told Ukraine to prepare for territorial losses under any peace deal, saying he expects the country to emerge from the war with a somewhat different shape. New negotiations between the US, Ukraine and Russia are scheduled in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Why it matters
Moscow claims the eastern Ukrainian territories it has occupied since the invasion and the remaining Donbass region still under Ukrainian control, while Kyiv points to the territorial integrity enshrined in its constitution. The gap between these positions defines the core obstacle to ending the war.
Trump's remarks were made in an interview with the programme 60 Minutes, and the Abu Dhabi talks are due on Tuesday and Wednesday. The reported territorial terms remain disputed, and no agreed boundary has been named.
The players
Donald Trump
The current President of the United States, who has pledged a quick end to the war and says Ukraine must expect territorial losses.
Volodymyr Zelensky
The President of Ukraine, who last met Trump in September 2025 and whose government insists on the country's constitutional territorial integrity.
The details
Trump made his remarks in an interview with 60 Minutes, saying he expects the war to end swiftly. The US has also granted an exemption from sanctions allowing the sale of Russian diesel, which was needed because of surging fuel prices linked to the Iran war.
Timeline
Early 2025: Trump's second term began with a promise to end the war quickly.
September 2025: Trump and Zelensky last met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Last week: Trump's Republicans lost US congressional elections, with rising petrol costs a contributing factor.
Tuesday and Wednesday: New US, Ukraine and Russia negotiations are scheduled in Abu Dhabi.
Political Context
Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea remains a central sticking point, as Moscow seeks to keep the peninsula while also claiming the occupied eastern territories and the rest of Donbass. Kyiv's position rests on the territorial integrity written into its constitution.
The outcome of the Abu Dhabi talks could determine whether territory currently under Ukrainian control is ceded in a peace agreement. Sanctions exemptions for Russian diesel also affect global fuel prices that readers may feel at the pump.
The takeaway
Any settlement is likely to reshape Ukraine's borders, and the Abu Dhabi talks will show how far Washington, Kyiv and Moscow are willing to move from their current positions.
What happens next
Fresh US, Ukraine and Russia negotiations are scheduled in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Further reading
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Source note: This article includes information reported by NEWSFIRE.
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