Trump Says Ukraine Will End Up With a “Different Shape” After the War — Ahead of Abu Dhabi Peace Talks
United States President Donald Trump has said Ukraine will emerge from its war with Russia as a free and independent country, but with “a little bit different shape”, in an interview broadcast on Sunday 8 November 2026. The remark, made to CBS News’ 60 Minutes days before American-mediated talks between Kyiv and Moscow open in Abu Dhabi, was the clearest sign yet that Washington expects territorial change to form part of any settlement.
Trump told 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat that he believed a deal was within reach. “I think we’re going to have it done and I think it’s going to happen, and they’re going to end up with a little bit different shape [for] Ukraine,” he said. He did not say which territories he had in mind, nor did he spell out what concessions either side would have to make.
Trump Ukraine “Different Shape” Remark — Quick Reference Summary
| Detail | What is known |
|---|---|
| Who said it | US President Donald Trump |
| Where | CBS News’ 60 Minutes, interviewed by Ross Douthat at the White House |
| When | Recorded on Friday 6 November; broadcast Sunday 8 November 2026; widely reported Monday 9 November |
| The remark | “They’re going to end up with a little bit different shape [for] Ukraine” |
| Next talks | Trilateral US–Ukraine–Russia talks in Abu Dhabi, Tuesday–Wednesday 10–11 November 2026 |
| Last trilateral round | February 2026 |
| Europe’s role | European officials to take part, according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot |
| What Trump did not say | Which territories would change, or what either side must concede |
What Trump Actually Said on 60 Minutes
The interview was Trump’s first sit-down since his Republican Party’s defeat in the midterm elections on Tuesday 3 November. He also used it to defend his use of emergency powers, his deployment of the National Guard and his decision to end a series of federal programmes.
“It was the hatred between Zelenskyy and Putin,” Trump said. “If I had been president that war would never have started.” The president was adamant that had he been in the White House when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the conflict would never have happened. Douthat then asked whether Trump expected the war to end with Ukraine still a free and independent country. “I think so. I think it’s going to be a little bit different shape,” Trump replied, before insisting the peace deal he expected would be one he would negotiate directly.
Why the Abu Dhabi Talks on 10–11 November Matter
The remarks land on the eve of the first trilateral meeting between American, Ukrainian and Russian officials since February, with the two sides due to meet in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday. US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Monday that Washington would bring the delegations together to discuss a deal.
Trump has been building towards the meeting for days. He met the Russian president’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, at the White House last week, and he discussed the talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a phone call. He told 60 Minutes he had asked both men what it would take to stop the fighting.
The Territorial Question Neither Side Has Settled
The phrase “different shape” is doing heavy work, and Trump declined to define it. Kyiv and Moscow remain far apart on territory. Russia currently occupies around a fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea and swathes of the eastern Donbas region, and has demanded that Kyiv withdraw from the rest of Donetsk province — a demand Ukraine has flatly rejected.
Reporting on the interview noted that the comments echo Russian demands that Ukraine cede the entire Donbas region in return for a ceasefire. Ukrainian officials have said repeatedly that they will not hand over land Russia has not captured on the battlefield.
What is clear is that the territorial question is now unavoidable. Any deal that leaves Ukraine smaller than it was in 2022 would amount to a de facto recognition of Russia’s land grab — something Kyiv’s European allies have said they will not accept, but which Washington now appears willing to contemplate, at least in private.
Europe’s Seat at the Table — and the G7 Backdrop
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Sunday that Europeans would take part in the Abu Dhabi talks, although they are not expected to sit in the trilateral format itself, Reuters reported.
The diplomacy is running alongside a separate gathering in Paris, where G7 foreign ministers met on Monday to discuss the war in Ukraine and the fallout from the US midterms. The meeting was hosted by France, which currently holds the G7 presidency, and was attended by ministers from Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
The same diplomats painted a sombre picture on the ground. The front line has largely stabilised, they said, but Russia continues to grind forward in the east, and Ukraine faces a winter of power cuts after months of Russian strikes on its energy grid. The war is not just a test of territory, they said, but of endurance — a context our COP31 summit coverage sets out in full.
What the Starlink Exchange Revealed
The 60 Minutes interview also touched on Starlink, the satellite system owned by Elon Musk that Ukraine relies on for battlefield communications. Trump was asked whether his administration had intervened to slow or block Starlink services in Ukraine. He said he did not think so — and insisted he had not given any such instruction.
Trump denied any personal involvement in the throttling of speeds, and said he did not know who had ordered any change. The White House has previously said that reports of an intervention in Ukraine’s Starlink service were inaccurate, and that the satellite network remained available to Kyiv’s forces.
What Happens Next
All eyes now turn to Abu Dhabi. If the 10–11 November talks produce even a framework for security guarantees, it will be the first concrete progress towards ending the war since the last round of talks in February. If they fail, the war will grind on — and the question of what shape Ukraine will be left in will only grow more urgent.
For now, the president’s own words are the story. Ukraine, he says, will survive the war free and independent, but changed. What “different shape” means in practice — which towns, which regions, which borders — is the question the negotiators in Abu Dhabi will now have to answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly did Trump say about Ukraine’s shape?
Speaking to Ross Douthat on CBS 60 Minutes, Trump said: “I think we’re going to have it done and I think it’s going to happen, and they’re going to end up with a little bit different shape [for] Ukraine.” He did not say which territories he had in mind.
When are the next Ukraine peace talks?
Trilateral talks between the United States, Ukraine and Russia are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, 10–11 November 2026, in Abu Dhabi. They will be the first trilateral meeting since February 2026.
Will Europe take part in the Abu Dhabi talks?
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Europeans would participate. Officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to attend in some capacity, although the trilateral format itself will be limited to the US, Ukraine and Russia.
Did Trump say which parts of Ukraine would change hands?
No. He did not elaborate on what he meant by a “different shape” and did not specify which territories would change hands. He also did not say what concessions either side would have to make.
What did Trump say was blocking a deal?
He blamed “the hatred between Zelenskyy and Putin”, saying the personal animosity between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents was the main obstacle to a settlement.
