Russia and Ukraine showing flexibility on territory, US official says

The official, briefing reporters ahead of talks that begin on Tuesday, said security guarantees for Ukraine will be a major topic for the discussions, including the potential for a NATO-style Article 5 defense for Kyiv.

Both Ukraine and Russia have been adamant about territory. Ukraine wants Russia pushed back to the original border between the two countries, while Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to obtain all of the Donbas region.

But the official said both sides are privately showing some potential for a compromise. Any territorial agreement would likely come at the end of negotiations once other items are agreed upon, including a postwar security architecture, the official said.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are to lead US mediation efforts in the Abu Dhabi talks, which are scheduled for two days. The official said it was possible the envoys would travel to Russia at some point after the talks in order to meet with Putin.

While noting that the negotiations would take some time, the official said there was cautious optimism on the US side that progress can be made.

Trump has repeatedly pointed out the heavy losses that both sides have taken since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began in early 2022.

"This is the first time I feel like we see real desire on the Russian side to finish," the official said.

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Bill Berkrot)