US 'cartographic trick' fails: What is the main obstacle in the Abu Dhabi negotiations?

11 November 2026, 13:092 min read0

A new territorial compromise plan proposed by US President Donald Trump's special envoys to restart negotiations with Russia has been sharply rejected by Kyiv. According to information released by the influential British newspaper The Telegraph, the initiative concerns achieving peace by altering the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.

'Cartographic trick' and Kyiv's firm position

Sources report that the compromise proposed by US diplomats was a kind of "cartographic trick." According to the plan:

Russia's current military control line in the Donbas was to be fully maintained.
Kyiv would retain major cities under its control, while Moscow would have the opportunity to officially declare that it had achieved its goals.

However, the Ukrainian side completely refused to discuss this scenario. A source close to the negotiation process emphasized that the Kyiv delegation has never discussed any territorial concessions and will not do so in the future. Ukraine is not prepared to recognize the transfer of these lands to Russian control, neither de facto nor de jure, and this principled approach has remained unchanged since the beginning of the negotiations.

Negotiation details	Key aspects and parties' approach
Proposal by US representatives	Changing the administrative borders of the DPR and LPR and seeking a territorial compromise
Ukraine's response	Categorical refusal of territorial concessions (no de facto or de jure recognition)
Abu Dhabi negotiations	The main obstacle to the trilateral consultations that began on November 10
Heads of the US delegation	Jared Kushner and Steven Witkoff
Change of direction	Discussions shifted to security guarantees because the border issue reached a dead end

"Because territorial issues have reached a dead end, US representatives at the Abu Dhabi meetings are being forced to focus on post-war security guarantees and a new security architecture for Europe."

New focus in the Abu Dhabi negotiations

Currently, the issue of agreeing on borders has become the biggest problem in the trilateral consultations between Russia, the US, and Ukraine taking place in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. After it became impossible to reach a compromise on borders, American diplomats led by Jared Kushner and Steven Witkoff immediately shifted the focus of the negotiations to developing new post-war security guarantees for Europe.

As a reminder, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously acknowledged that the first round of discussions in Abu Dhabi was extremely productive, but specifically emphasized that the parties should not expect immediate global breakthroughs.

In your opinion, is it possible to reach agreements on security guarantees without resolving the issue of borders and territorial integrity? Leave your opinion in the comments!