Russia, Ukraine Agree to POW Exchange in Abu Dhabi Talks
Russia and Ukraine agree to exchange over 1,000 POWs in U.S.-mediated talks, marking a tentative step toward peace.
2 min read
After two days of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi, Russia and Ukraine agreed to the largest exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) of the conflict, even though no breakthroughs on ending the war were announced. The agreement, announced by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a U.S. envoy, was described as a ‘humanitarian breakthrough’ at a press conference marking the conclusion of the second day of trilateral peace talks.
“This will reunite families, build trust, and create momentum toward peace,” Kushner wrote on X. The exact number of prisoners to be released has not been finalized, though each side has discussed exchanging 1,000 to 1,500 people, potentially totaling 2,000 to 3,000. Kushner stated the final number would be determined on Thursday.
Kushner also noted that these were the first trilateral discussions since February, calling Wednesday’s meeting a “tough” but “productive” and “positive” one. His next stop is Moscow, where he will discuss certain proposals Ukraine has agreed on with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visit with Putin will be followed by a visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He stated that President Trump “is determined to end this horrible war.”
“Significant differences remain, but we are committed to building on the progress made and advancing toward broader multilateral negotiations that can deliver lasting peace and a sovereign, secure, and prosperous Ukraine,” his X statement concluded.
During the press conference, Kushner noted that the Russian side would like to see “more progress” before President Putin is prepared to meet face-to-face with Zelensky. “These deals do take time,” Kushner clarified, especially given Trump’s many previous statements that he would end the Russia-Ukraine war quickly during his second term. “We did the Abraham Accords, it took three-and-a-half years, we did the USMCA [United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement], it took two-and-a-half years, the Gaza deal took a year. So these deals are very hard and complex, and this one is very emotional.”
Despite the slow progress, Kushner was pleased to see the “ingredients to make a deal” after Tuesday and Wednesday’s talks, he added.
Today we achieved an important humanitarian breakthrough, with Ukraine and Russia agreeing in principle to what will be the largest prisoner exchange of the war. This will reunite families, build trust, and create momentum toward peace. Bringing Ukraine and Russia back together… pic.twitter.com/UDxcm2R9EH
Witkoff also stated that the talks reinforced the participants’ need for “sovereignty, territorial integrity, independent decision-making,” Ukrainian security guarantees and “a strong post-war European security architecture.” The U.S., Ukraine and European partners plan to hold multilateral talks to push toward a peace deal after nearly five years of full-scale fighting.
Statement on Meeting Between the United States, Ukraine, and European Partners: Ahead of the upcoming trilateral discussions with Russia, representatives of the United States, Ukraine, and European partners met to continue their close coordination on efforts to end the war in…
Source: OANN
