Russia and Ukraine agree in principle to prisoner swap in Abu Dhabi

Two days of talks in Abu Dhabi

Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine met in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, 10 November, and Wednesday, 11 November, in their first direct negotiations in nine months. The United States mediated, with envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff joined by Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of the U.S. European Command. The Russian delegation was headed by Vladimir Medinski, while Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia took part on Kyiv's side. Axios reported that Tuesday's meetings were tense and at times emotional, with both sides airing grievances after months without direct contact. Tuesday's session ran four and a half hours, and Wednesday's broke up after two hours.

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4.5 hours

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2 hours

Data from the article text

A prisoner exchange agreed in principle

Both delegations agreed in principle to exchange prisoners of war, but the final numbers were not announced. Those figures are expected to be settled on Thursday, 12 November, in meetings with Putin in Moscow and Zelensky. Kushner called the planned exchange the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners during the four-and-a-half-year conflict. Zelensky said its overall scale would be significant. Kushner described the outcome of the talks as a good first step, even though few other concrete breakthroughs were announced.

“I think this was a good first step.”

Territory and the trust gap

Kushner told POLITICO that the two sides discussed every significant topic over the two days, with territory the hardest to resolve. Kyiv continues to reject Putin's demand that Ukraine hand over the entire eastern Donbas region as a condition for peace. According to Zelensky, Ukraine's negotiators won a point on day one by persuading the Americans to accept their assessment of where the front line stands and how much less territory Russia has taken than Moscow claims. Privately, U.S. officials said both sides had shown some flexibility on how to settle territorial questions. Kushner acknowledged the lack of trust between the parties.

“The reality is there is no trust right now between the sides and that is to be expected after a conflict like this.”

Next steps in Moscow, Dublin and Europe

Kushner and Witkoff are scheduled to meet Putin in Moscow on Thursday, 12 November, and plan to propose that European representatives be included in the process. A US official said the envoys also want Putin to allow European representatives to join the next round of Russia-Ukraine talks. From Moscow, the envoys are expected to travel to Dublin to meet Zelensky that Thursday night. Before and after the Abu Dhabi talks, the US and Ukrainian negotiating teams briefed senior diplomats from Germany, the UK, France, Italy, the EU and NATO. Putin has agreed to resume peace talks and to release US citizen Stephen Hubbard, who Russia detained in 2022, and Witkoff and Kushner brokered a humanitarian ceasefire in the city of Oleshky.