Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi end with prisoner exchange agreement

What the report says

Russia and Ukraine held two days of talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, in meetings mediated by the United States. According to Al Jazeera, the discussions were the first between the two sides since February and focused on possible steps toward ending the war, which is approaching its five-year mark. The talks did not produce a peace breakthrough, but the delegations agreed on a prisoner exchange.

Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said the sides reached understanding on some issues and had settled on a large-scale swap, while Russian state media said it could happen within two to three weeks. US envoy Jared Kushner described the meeting as difficult but productive. He said the prisoner numbers would be finalized later and that he and US special envoy Steve Witkoff would brief Russian President Vladimir Putin and then meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The article says previous prisoner exchanges have continued during the war, including swaps involving hundreds of detainees and earlier UAE-mediated exchanges. A political analyst quoted by Al Jazeera said such exchanges are a functioning channel even when broader peace efforts stall.

Al Jazeera reported that both sides remained far apart on territorial and security questions, but signaled more talks ahead. Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said there was momentum toward a solution, while Zelenskyy stressed that European security discussions should include Europe.