Russia and Ukraine agree large prisoner exchange in Abu Dhabi
First day of U.S.-mediated talks ended in Abu Dhabi after over four hours and yielded a pledge for a major prisoner swap.
The opening day of renewed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the United States, concluded in Abu Dhabi after more than four hours of discussions and produced a concrete result: an agreement to carry out a large prisoner exchange in the near future, Ukrainian sources said.
Details scarce but officials signal progress
Delegation officials have not yet disclosed the number of prisoners who will be swapped. Kyiv’s representatives described the prisoner-exchange agreement as the first tangible outcome of the trilateral talks convened with U.S. involvement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told negotiators that Moscow expects Washington to take into account the interests of both sides when shaping any future security framework.
From the Ukrainian side, priorities remain the cessation of hostilities, robust security guarantees and the country’s economic recovery.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the talks "very productive" but cautioned that "there is still much work to do," and said the goal is to involve additional European representatives at a subsequent stage.
Russian forces invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
Photo: press material from the event
