Ukraine went into a new round of peace talks with growing unease about Washington on November 9, 2026, Bloomberg reported, as US President Donald Trump, politically weakened at home, kept up his overtures to Moscow.

“A little bit different shape”

In a 60 Minutes interview broadcast on Sunday, Trump said: “I believe we’re very close to making a deal.” Of Ukraine, he said “they’re going to end up with a little bit different shape” once the war ends, adding that “the only reason it’s going to end is because of me.”

Asked about the biggest obstacle to peace, Trump said: “It was the hatred between Zelensky and Putin.” Asked whom he trusted more, he said: “I’d rather not say, but I get along with both.” He said he did not believe Vladimir Putin was stringing him along, and that Russia had been shown “great disrespect” at the leaders’ first meeting.

Sanctions

“There’s been nobody that’s been tougher on Russia than me,” Trump said. Pressed on his recent waiver of sanctions on Russian oil exports, he replied: “I didn’t lift diesel sanctions.”

A weakened president

The interview followed a heavy defeat for Trump’s Republican Party in the US midterm elections. Matthew Boyse of the Hudson Institute told The National that Moscow sees Trump as politically weakened and keen for a win. “Putin thinks he has the cards,” he said. Daniel Fried, a former US assistant secretary of state for Europe, said the White House keeps offering Russia concessions at Ukraine’s expense.

Abu Dhabi

Trilateral talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine, the first since February, were due to open in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner leading the American side. Security guarantees were expected to be central. Kyiv has ruled out surrendering territory, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she saw little sign that Russia wanted to end the war.

Sources

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