US-brokered Abu Dhabi talks yield prisoner-exchange deal but stall on broader peace

Senior delegations from Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement on what they described as the "largest prisoner exchange" of the war during a two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi, the first US-brokered talks since February. The swap is expected to involve more than 1,000 prisoners from each side and is intended to reunite families and build confidence, US envoys said.

The American team, led by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, said they would travel to Moscow on Thursday to discuss the Abu Dhabi outcomes with President Vladimir Putin, before heading to Dublin for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European partners. Kushner noted that the proposals to be presented in Moscow had been coordinated with Ukraine and European allies.

Despite the progress on the exchange, the delegations did not close the gap on territorial issues. Russia’s delegation, headed by Vladimir Medinsky, reiterated demands for control of the entire Donbas region and parts of two southern oblasts, stating that "every inch of our land will be returned to Russia, one way or another." Medinsky also called for a new European security architecture, likening it to a "new Yalta and Potsdam" and suggesting that the current post-World War II system is failing.

European leaders, who sent envoys to the talks but did not participate directly, expressed concern that any settlement might affect NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe. Kushner suggested that Europe should designate a single representative for future negotiations, emphasizing the importance of including European perspectives in post-war security discussions.

The diplomatic talks continued alongside ongoing hostilities: Russian drones struck Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions, while Ukrainian forces hit the Ust-Luga port on Russia’s Baltic coast, a key conduit for Russian energy exports.