US President Donald Trump stated in an interview with the Financial Times that Ukraine and Russia have reached a stage where both sides are ready to conclude a peace deal. However, as the publication notes, Ukrainian negotiators do not share such an optimistic assessment of the settlement process. The discrepancy in views between Washington and Kyiv on the key issue — the readiness of the parties to sign a document — was reported by several Ukrainian and Russian media outlets on November 4, 2026.
Washington's Optimism: 'Let's Make a Deal'
“I think they’re both at the stage where they say: 'Let's make a deal',” Trump said in a conversation with the Financial Times. The US leader expressed confidence that Moscow and Kyiv are already prepared to move on to concrete agreements on ending hostilities. This is not Trump's first statement about the proximity of a peace settlement, but this time the wording sounds more categorical: the US president points not to a future prospect, but to the current readiness of both sides to sign a document. RBC-Ukraine, 24tv, Moskovsky Komsomolets, and Life.ru reported this statement on the same day, indicating a wide resonance of the remark.
Kyiv's Position: Divergence from Trump's Assessment
According to the Financial Times, Ukrainian negotiators disagree with the US president's assessment and do not believe the sides have reached the stage of readiness to conclude an agreement. The publication does not specify which particular Kyiv representatives it spoke with or what specific arguments they put forward to substantiate their position. Nevertheless, the very fact of the discrepancy in views between Washington and Kyiv is confirmed: while Trump talks about the readiness of both sides, the Ukrainian side does not recognize this readiness. RBC-Ukraine specifically emphasizes that the publication does not provide details on how Kyiv assesses the state of negotiations.
The Brussels Round: Recovery and Security Guarantees
On November 4 and 5, a new round of meetings between representatives of Ukraine, Ukraine's partners, the US, and European countries is taking place in Brussels. As stated by Head of the Presidential Office Rustem Umerov, the discussions will focus on Ukraine's post-war recovery and security guarantee mechanisms. According to 24tv, the parties are also working on packages of measures to be presented at the upcoming meeting in Abu Dhabi, where, unlike the Brussels round, a Russian delegation will also be present. Thus, the negotiation process is being conducted on multiple platforms simultaneously, complicating the picture and making leaders' public statements about 'readiness for a deal' somewhat overly simplistic.
NYT: Pressure on Kyiv and the Issue of Territorial Concessions
Earlier, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration is actively pushing Kyiv toward concluding a peace agreement with Russia that could involve territorial concessions in the Donbas. As compensation, Washington, according to the publication, is offering Ukraine potential economic benefits. These reports heighten tension around the negotiation process and emphasize that within the Ukrainian side itself, there are different views on acceptable settlement terms. This context likely explains why Ukrainian negotiators are in no hurry to confirm the thesis of 'both sides' readiness.'
Threats of Diplomatic Information Leaks
Special attention should be paid to Rustem Umerov's warning that unknown individuals are attempting to obtain data on Kyiv's new diplomatic initiatives and the progress of its negotiations with international partners. This statement indicates an increased level of interest in the negotiation track from third parties and underlines the vulnerability of the diplomatic process amid the ongoing conflict. Combined with Trump's public statements about 'readiness for a deal,' such leak attempts could be used to exert informational pressure on one of the negotiating parties.
