Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a large exchange of prisoners of war after two days of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi, the first such round in months. US envoy Jared Kushner said the final numbers would be settled on Thursday, as he and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff prepare to fly to Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin.
What was agreed in Abu Dhabi
The talks, hosted by the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday and Wednesday, brought together delegations led by Witkoff and Kushner for the United States, Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky for Russia, and Rustem Umerov for Ukraine, Reuters and the Associated Press reported.
Speaking after the talks ended, Kushner said the sides had agreed on “the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners”, according to AP. Both Medinsky and Umerov confirmed the planned exchange. Russia and Ukraine have swapped prisoners several times during the war, but officials did not give a figure for this one.
According to AP, the discussions were largely about humanitarian issues, including the return of Ukrainian civilians held in captivity and children taken from Ukraine. Security guarantees for Ukraine were also discussed.
How the two days unfolded
Tuesday’s session lasted about four and a half hours, ABC News reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described it as “constructive and quite substantive”, saying negotiators covered prisoner exchanges, humanitarian steps, de-escalation and future security guarantees. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the first day very productive, without giving details.
Wednesday’s meeting, the last one scheduled, was shorter. Russian state media said it ended after about two hours. The Kremlin said its delegation had no contact with European representatives in Abu Dhabi and none was planned, while AP reported that European, EU and NATO officials were in the city and consulted with the Ukrainian team.
Fighting continued during the talks
The negotiations did not pause the war. Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi said Russian strikes overnight into Wednesday hit six large electricity substations in four central regions, Reuters reported. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 163 drones along with missiles, according to ABC News.
On the Russian side, the TASS news agency, citing a regional governor, said drone debris killed two people when it hit an apartment building in the Smolensk region bordering Belarus.
Background: a stalled peace effort
This was the first trilateral round since talks in Geneva in February, which failed to produce a breakthrough on the main disputes, including territory. The war began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly five years ago.
The political picture in Washington has also changed. The Globe and Mail noted that Democrats, who won control of both chambers of Congress in last week’s midterm elections, take over in January and could push for more support for Ukraine. Moscow, meanwhile, continues to resist direct European involvement in the negotiations.
The war has also touched Africa. Zimbabwe and South Africa have both raised concerns about citizens being recruited to fight, and South African police arrested nine foreign nationals at OR Tambo International Airport this week over an alleged plan to join the conflict.
What happens next
Kushner said he and Witkoff would travel to Moscow on Thursday to meet Putin, then fly to Dublin to meet Zelensky. The numbers for the prisoner exchange are due to be finalised in the coming days. The prisoner deal is the main concrete outcome so far; the harder questions of territory and security guarantees remain unresolved.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, ABC News, France 24, NBC News, The Globe and Mail.
