Russia, Ukraine agree to major POW swap after 2 days of Abu Dhabi talks
What's next: U.S. envoys plan talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow before meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin.
Russia and Ukraine agreed in principle to a major prisoner-of-war exchange after two days of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi, the first direct negotiating session between the sides in nine months. The talks produced no broader breakthrough on ending Russia’s full-scale invasion, with major disputes still centered on occupied territory, postwar security guarantees and Europe’s role in any settlement. Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky and Ukrainian delegate Rustem Umerov both confirmed the planned swap, while Russian official Alexander Zorin said it could happen within two or three weeks and rank among the biggest exchanges of the war. U.S. envoy Jared Kushner called it the largest humanitarian release yet and said he and Steve Witkoff will travel next to Moscow and then Dublin.