Russia and Ukraine agree to large prisoner exchange after Abu Dhabi talks
The two sides held their first meeting in nine months, but they did not reach a breakthrough on ending the war.
Latest · Nov 11 Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large prisoner exchange after Abu Dhabi talks, their first meeting in nine months, though no breakthrough on ending the war.
Officials at U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi said Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large exchange of prisoners of war. Jared Kushner said the final numbers would be settled the following day. Vladimir Medinsky and Rustem Umerov confirmed the planned exchange.
The talks were the first meeting between the delegations in nine months and were mostly about humanitarian issues, including prisoner swaps, civilians held in captivity and children taken from Ukraine. Security guarantees were also discussed, but neither side showed signs of compromising on its demands.
Kushner and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff plan to travel to Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin, then go to Dublin to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. U.S. officials say they want to revive peace efforts that have not yet produced major results.
Key points
- Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large exchange of prisoners of war
- Talks in Abu Dhabi were the first between the delegations in nine months
- No breakthrough was reached on ending the war or on security guarantees
- U.S. envoys plan to meet Putin in Moscow and Zelenskyy in Dublin
Read the original reporting (2)
Earlier coverage
- First US-Russia-Ukraine trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi end first day with no breakthrough
Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States met in Abu Dhabi for their first trilateral talks since February. The U.S. described the first day as very productive, though no apparent breakthrough on the war was reported. U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are meeting Ukrainian intelligence chief Rustem Umerov and Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky. The U.S. has asked Russia to accept a security guarantee for Ukraine that a U.S. official said would be very similar to NATO. Officials said both sides have shown some flexibility privately on territorial disputes. U.S. negotiators do not expect to settle the territorial question in Abu Dhabi. Their goal is to clarify each side's position and explore possible compromises to take back to Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Negotiators also planned to meet with national security officials from Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy.
Why it mattered: The talks are the first trilateral round in months and involve American security guarantees for Ukraine, which could shape U.S. military commitments in Europe. Any deal would also affect American allies and the broader relationship with Russia.
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