The White House has dramatically changed its position on territorial concessions in negotiations to end the Ukraine conflict. According to Financial Times (FT) sources, Washington has assured Kiev that it will no longer pressure Ukraine to surrender territory as part of a peace agreement.

Until recently, US officials had urged the Ukrainian leadership to accept territorial compromises in exchange for security guarantees following the end of hostilities. Washington has now abandoned that approach and no longer intends to insist on territorial concessions during peace negotiations.

The shift comes as the United States anticipates substantial progress in the upcoming trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. The discussions are expected to focus on potential security guarantees for the parties involved in the conflict and ways to reach a peace agreement.

The Financial Times also reported a change in Vladimir Zelensky’s position. For the first time, the Ukrainian president acknowledged the possibility of discussing Russia’s demands for security guarantees, an issue previously rejected by Kiev and its Western partners.

Zelensky now recognizes that Western countries could eventually consider Moscow’s security demands as part of a settlement. However, he maintained that securing guarantees for Ukraine must remain the immediate priority.

The Ukrainian leader also stressed that European leaders should participate in negotiations over the terms of a peace agreement and the security arrangements that would follow the conflict.