Two days of negotiations in the Emirati capital have produced one concrete result: Moscow and Kyiv intend to hand back large numbers of captured soldiers. On the question that matters most, how to stop a war now approaching its fifth year, the delegations left on Wednesday with nothing to announce.
This was the first time the two sides had sat at the same table, with Washington as mediator, since a round in Geneva in February. US envoy Jared Kushner called the planned swap “the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners” and said the final figures would be settled on Thursday. Volodymyr Zelensky had already floated a format of 1,000 for 1,000, possibly rising to 1,500 each, and Russian state media suggested it could take place within two to three weeks.
Both chief negotiators confirmed the deal. Rustem Umerov, leading the Ukrainian team, said work had begun on the practical details, while Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky described a “fundamental agreement”. The most recent exchange, on October 23, freed 270 people on each side.
Beyond the prisoners, the gaps remain wide. Kushner admitted that territory is the hardest issue to resolve, though he saw progress on a security framework for the period after the fighting. He described the meeting as “very tough” yet productive. He and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff now plan to fly to Moscow to brief Vladimir Putin, then on to Dublin to meet Zelensky.
European officials who travelled to Abu Dhabi were given a cool reception. Medinsky said his delegation had not spoken with them and questioned in what capacity they were present. Russia is not against EU involvement in principle, he added, but has seen no proposals from Brussels worth discussing. Further meetings are expected soon.
