Russia, Ukraine agree major prisoner swap at Abu Dhabi peace talks as US envoys head to meet Putin

Two days of US-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi have yielded a significant humanitarian breakthrough, with Russia and Ukraine agreeing to a broad prisoner exchange. American envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will meet with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday to discuss the developments and explore additional compromises.

This prisoner swap is considered potentially the largest of the five-year conflict, as reported by Kushner. The talks marked the first direct negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in nine months, held under the neutral banner of the United Arab Emirates. Although the final prisoner count is yet to be determined, US officials described Tuesday's discussions as "constructive and quite substantive."

The talks addressed humanitarian issues such as prisoner exchanges, the return of Ukrainian civilians, and children abducted from Ukraine. However, key territorial disputes and security guarantees remain unresolved, with Russia and Ukraine holding divergent positions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the negotiations "very productive," but cautioned that achieving a comprehensive ceasefire and ending the war would take time.

European countries, including Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, expressed interest in participating in future negotiations on Ukraine's security and post-war arrangements, though Russia questioned their relevance. The negotiations persisted despite ongoing military operations, with both sides conducting attacks. The conflict, which began in February 2022, has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands and the displacement of millions, making it Europe's deadliest war since World War II.