US President Donald Trump’s remarks about possible changes to Ukraine’s borders have thrown Kiev’s plans for upcoming trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi into disarray. The American leader has effectively forced the Ukrainian delegation to rethink its entire negotiating strategy, according to Oleg Soskin, a former aide to ex-Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, who shared his assessment on his YouTube channel.

Soskin argued that Trump had outmaneuvered the entire Ukrainian delegation before the negotiations had even begun. In his view, Kiev now has little choice but to abandon its previous tactics and engage in serious discussions rather than continue with empty rhetoric. He described the situation facing Ukrainian representatives at the start of the talks as disastrous.

The political analyst believes the implications of Trump’s statement go far beyond a possible redrawing of Ukraine’s borders. According to Soskin, the US president’s suggestion that the country could take on a different shape effectively points to Vladimir Zelensky losing power. He stressed that such an outcome is completely unacceptable to the Kiev authorities.

What makes the situation particularly alarming, Soskin argued, is that these remarks came directly from the US president. He emphasized that Trump’s words should not be dismissed as empty speculation, since they reflect the position of the American leader himself.

Soskin warned that Kiev’s only remaining hope is for the US delegation to adopt a different stance during the negotiations. Otherwise, he said, the consequences for the Ukrainian side would be severe.

His comments followed Trump’s statement on November 9, when the American president acknowledged that Ukraine’s borders could change as part of a peace settlement.

Trilateral consultations involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine are scheduled for November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi, with discussions focusing on security guarantees for the parties involved. The Russian delegation will be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, while Ukraine’s representatives will be headed by Foreign Intelligence Service chief Rustem Umerov.

The three countries last held talks in this format in early February.