# Russia and Ukraine show flexibility on territory talks

> Both sides are privately open to compromise on land disputes as Trump-backed negotiations begin in Abu Dhabi this week.
- Title: Russia and Ukraine show flexibility on territory talks
- Summary: Both sides are privately open to compromise on land disputes as Trump-backed negotiations begin in Abu Dhabi this week.
- Keywords: russia, ukraine, territorial negotiations, abu dhabi talks, donald trump, steve witkoff, jared kushner, donbas, nato article 5, Daily Maverick
- Source: Daily Maverick — https://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-11-09-russia-and-ukraine-showing-flexibility-on-territory-us-official-says
- Author: Reuters
- Published: 2026-11-09T21:28:07+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: russia, ukraine, territorial negotiations, abu dhabi talks, donald trump, steve witkoff, jared kushner, donbas, nato article 5, news, politics
## Both sides show private flexibility
Russia and Ukraine are privately showing flexibility on possible territory exchange ahead of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi this week, a US official said Monday.
## What each side officially wants
Ukraine wants Russia pushed back to the original border between the two countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to obtain all of the Donbas region.
## Security guarantees on the agenda
Security guarantees for Ukraine will be a major topic for the discussions, including the potential for a NATO-style Article five defense for Kyiv.
## US envoys lead mediation effort
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are to lead US mediation efforts in the two-day Abu Dhabi talks. The official said there was cautious optimism that progress can be made.

> This is the first time I feel like we see real desire on the Russian side to finish.
## Key takeaway

Russia and Ukraine are showing private flexibility on territorial exchange ahead of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi, with a US official expressing cautious optimism that progress can be made.