Trump sees willingness to end Russia-Ukraine war ahead of Abu Dhabi talks

President Donald Trump said Washington sees growing willingness to end Russia's war in Ukraine, as Kyiv and Moscow prepare for U.S.-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi later Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said recent battlefield gains were strengthening Kyiv's negotiating position ahead of the talks. Trump spoke at the White House on Monday, saying both sides were battle-weary more than four and a half years after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. A U.S. official said Moscow and Kyiv were privately showing flexibility over a possible territory exchange, though a senior Ukrainian official rejected territorial concessions. Russia maintains its demand for Ukraine to surrender the entire eastern Donbas region. The talks mark the first trilateral negotiations since February, with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner leading mediation.