Russia and Ukraine agree to a large prisoner swap at Abu Dhabi talks

Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large exchange of prisoners of war during two days of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi, their first negotiations in nine months. The talks ended with no major breakthrough toward ending the war. Russian General Staff official Alexander Zorin said it would be one of the biggest such swaps and could happen within two or three weeks. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow, then Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin.

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Why it matters

Prisoners of war on both sides could return home if the exchange goes ahead; a Russian official said it could happen within two or three weeks. The talks did not produce a breakthrough on ending the war, which began nearly five years ago.

What to watch

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, then Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin.

How each side sees it

Ukraine saysPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine's priority is to end the war as soon as possible with a dignified peace.

Russia saysKremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov called the talks substantive and quite useful; delegation head Vladimir Medinsky described the swap deal as agreed in principle.

The U.S. saysEnvoy Jared Kushner called the talks a good first step but said there is no trust between the sides right now.

Sources

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Published Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Spot an error? Email [email protected]. See our corrections log and standards.