Abu Dhabi Talks Result In ‘Large-Scale’ Prisoner Exchange Between Russia & Ukraine

While there are no major or immediate breakthroughs expected from the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi between Russia, Ukraine and the US – already some positive things are emerging.

The group on Wednesday announced that the sides have agreed to a large exchange of prisoners of war. Such exchanges have come intermittently throughout the war, which is approaching its five-year mark.

“One of the positives is we agreed that we’re going to have the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners, which we’re going to finalize the numbers tomorrow,” Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy to the talks (alongside Steve Witkoff), said after the two days of talks in Abu Dhabi ended.

Precise numbers of POWs have yet to be given, but Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky also confirmed it.

“We have agreed on a new, large-scale prisoner exchange,” Medinsky told reporters, noting that the “concrete” details of the exchange would be forthcoming.

“Together with the American side, we exchanged our views ​on this; on some points we reached a common ​understanding, whilst on ‌others we did not. And this discussion will, of course, continue. The world needs a new, modern, updated security system – one that ‌is fair and does not disadvantage any particular countries,” Medinsky ‌said as cited in European media. And most significantly:

Russian Official Ushakov says “the possibility of holding a bilateral meeting between Russian President Putin and US President Trump on the sidelines of the APEC summit is currently being discussed and studied.“

And…

Russia’s Medinsky says they see no possibility of territorial exchanges with Ukraine, Tass reports.

Wishing to keep up the momentum in dialogue, Russian President Putin is expected to meet US envoys Witkoff and Kushner on Thursday morning, who are flying to Moscow.

Kushner proclaims that “openings and opportunities” have been presented…

Washington’s peace efforts have so far have failed to result in a peace breakthrough, and at the same time Ukraine’s Zelensky has been complaining that the Europeans must be at the table ‘every step of the way’.

However, the BBC on Tuesday cited US officials to say that Ukraine and Russia have privately shown “a little bit of flexibility” over disputed territory.

“They will not solve the Donetsk issue and the territorial issue until they know what the security architecture is going to be after the war,” an official remarked on the trilateral talks process. Zelensky is under pressure from the Trump administration to give up territory, and to also finally hold elections, but he also has a hardline nationalist base to not concede or compromise in any significant way.