US official sees flexibility in Russia-Ukraine territorial talks ahead of Abu Dhabi meeting

Russia and Ukraine are privately showing flexibility on potential territorial exchanges ahead of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi this week, a US official said Monday, as President Donald Trump intensifies efforts to end the conflict. Security guarantees for Ukraine, including a possible NATO-style Article 5 defense, will be a major topic in the two-day talks led by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Any territorial agreement would likely come last, after other items like postwar security are settled. The official expressed cautious optimism, noting a "real desire on the Russian side to finish," and said envoys might travel to Russia afterward to meet President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine seeks a return to original borders, while Russia wants all of the Donbas region.