U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi yield agreement on large-scale prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine

U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said on Wednesday that Russia and Ukraine have reached an agreement for the largest humanitarian release of prisoners to date, with the exact numbers to be finalised the following day. Kushner and fellow mediator Steve Witkoff are scheduled to travel to Moscow on Thursday for talks with President Vladimir Putin, before heading to Dublin to brief President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Both sides confirmed that a large-scale prisoner exchange had been agreed, though details will be announced later. The two-day talks in Abu Dhabi, a neutral venue, were the second consecutive session of U.S.-brokered negotiations aimed at ending the nearly five-year conflict that began with Russia’s 2022 invasion.

Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov indicated that the Wednesday session would be followed by three-way discussions involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States, with the Ukrainian delegation later meeting European officials. European Union and NATO representatives were present in Abu Dhabi, consulting with Kyiv, while Moscow preferred to keep the direct talks limited to the two parties.

President Zelenskyy described the previous day’s meeting as “constructive and quite substantive,” noting that humanitarian issues such as prisoner exchanges, the return of civilians and children taken abroad, and security guarantees were discussed. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the meeting “very productive,” adding that a comprehensive breakthrough on the war would require more time.

The negotiations continue amid ongoing hostilities, with recent missile and drone strikes reported in the Zaporizhzhia region and the city of Kharkiv, resulting in civilian injuries and property damage. Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defenses downed 627 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 150 near St. Petersburg, and reported a fire at the oil export port of Ust-Luga that injured three workers.