Russia and Ukraine have reached an agreement in principle on a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war following two days of talks in Abu Dhabi, held with the mediation of the United States. The exact number of participants and the date of the operation have not yet been announced.
“One of the positive things is that we agreed on the largest humanitarian release of prisoners, with the number to be finalized tomorrow,” U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said after the talks concluded.
The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, confirmed the agreement but уточни that it had been reached “in principle.” Alexander Zorin, deputy head of the information department of the Russian General Staff, told Russian state television that the exchange could take place within the next two to three weeks.
No formula has been announced yet
The Ukrainian delegation, led by Rustem Umerov, also confirmed the agreement. Kyiv and Moscow, however, have not said whether the exchange will be carried out according to a specific formula or how many servicemen will be released by each side.
Before the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that options such as 1,000 for 1,000 or 1,500 for 1,500 people were being discussed. These figures have not been confirmed as the final parameters of the agreement reached in Abu Dhabi.
The last reported exchange between Russia and Ukraine took place on October 23 under a 270-for-270 formula. If carried out on the announced scale, the new agreement would be among the largest humanitarian outcomes of the negotiating process.
No breakthrough on ending the war
The two-day talks ended without a significant breakthrough on the main political issues. These include security guarantees for Ukraine, the fate of the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, and the future participation of European countries in the negotiations.
Kushner and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to travel to Moscow on November 12 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They are then scheduled to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to The Associated Press, the aim is to discuss the next steps, including the possibility of a broader diplomatic process.
The agreement reached on prisoners of war is the concrete outcome of the meeting, but its implementation will depend on further clarification of the lists, the number of people to be released, and the logistics of the exchange itself.
Sources: apnews.com, en.interfax.com.ua, rbc.ru