Russia and Ukraine agree major prisoner swap at US-mediated talks in UAE

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange following a second round of US-mediated talks in the United Arab Emirates, even as negotiations failed to make headway on core political and security issues.

The discussions, held in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, brought together delegations from the United States, Russia and Ukraine with the aim of addressing humanitarian concerns arising from the ongoing war. While the talks resulted in an agreement on a prisoner swap, they ended without any joint statement on wider peace terms, underlining the persistent gulf between the two sides.

According to Ukrainian officials, the talks began in a trilateral format before shifting to broader group consultations. Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Secretary, Rustem Umerov, said Kyiv was advocating for a “dignified and lasting peace”, though he did not outline specific concessions or outcomes from the negotiations.

US President’s Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, described the discussions as “specific and constructive”, confirming that all three parties had reached consensus on the exchange of detainees. He warned, however, that significant further efforts would be required to move towards a comprehensive settlement of the conflict.

Shortly after the talks concluded, Russia and Ukraine carried out their first major prisoner exchange in nearly five months, with 157 detainees released by each side. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said those freed included both military personnel and civilians.

The United Arab Emirates welcomed the cooperation, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying the exchange highlighted the country’s role as a trusted mediator seeking to ease tensions and promote dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv.

Despite the humanitarian breakthrough, no date was set for a next round of negotiations, reflecting continued uncertainty over the peace process. Zelenskyy later said further talks involving US and Russian delegations were expected soon, adding that future meetings were likely to take place in the United States.

With IANS inputs