Ukraine rejected the US proposal to change the borders of Donbas, which would allow Russia to claim it had fully captured the region

Russia insists that Ukraine hand over the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that the Russian army has still been unable to capture. According to the British publication The Telegraph, the United States proposed a different arrangement: Russia would take control up to the current frontline in Donbas, without requiring Ukraine to leave the cities held by Ukrainian forces. However, the initiative did not lead to a compromise.

According to The Telegraph, Moscow is demanding approximately 2,000 square miles — around 5,200 square kilometers — of territory in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. These are areas that remain under Ukrainian control despite attempts by the Russian army to seize them by force.

The U.S. proposal, according to the publication, was intended to overcome this impasse. Russia could take control of Donbas up to the current frontline, while Ukrainian forces would not have to leave the cities they currently hold. However, Moscow continues to insist that the territories be handed over, leaving the negotiations at a difficult impasse.

The publication also drew attention to statements by U.S. administration officials claiming that Kyiv was prepared to make territorial concessions during private contacts. A Ukrainian source close to the negotiations denied this. According to the source, the Ukrainian delegation did not discuss handing over to Russia any territories currently under Russian occupation. The Telegraph’s source stressed that Ukraine’s position on not recognizing the occupation has not changed:

“Ukraine will never recognize this — de facto or de jure. And this has always been our position at the negotiating table.”

A new round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia on ending the war began in Abu Dhabi on November 10, 2026. Before the main meeting, the Ukrainian delegation held consultations with representatives of the United States and its European partners. Representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission also took part.

The first round of talks lasted more than four hours. After it concluded, the parties agreed to continue meeting the following day. Reports on the talks indicated that the topics included humanitarian issues, measures to ease tensions, and security guarantees for Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the issues Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia were to discuss on November 11 included a ceasefire, energy security and the situation in the Black Sea.

Thus, the territorial issue remains one of the main obstacles to reaching an agreement. Russia is demanding that Ukraine give up territories it has been unable to capture militarily, while the Ukrainian side says it has not agreed to make such concessions.

We previously reported:

• Zelenskyy rejects trading unoccupied Donbas for a peace deal with Russia
• Russia seeks to rewrite Europe’s security rules at Abu Dhabi talks — ISW
• Trump says Ukraine’s borders could change and claims a deal is close
• Europe to join talks on ending the war in Ukraine
• First, an end to the war: Europe refuses to discuss Putin’s security demands