Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Ukraine and Russia concluded a second day of US-brokered talks on Thursday aimed at ending the war, agreeing to a major prisoner swap, officials said. US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said delegations from the United States, Ukraine and Russia had agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war.
Prisoner exchange agreement
Witkoff said the delegations had agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war. In a post on X, he described the peace talks as “detailed and productive” and said: “While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.”
Officials cite positive talks
Both Russia and Ukraine said the talks had been positive so far, and a Ukrainian official said the talks had finished. Late on Wednesday, Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov described the first day of discussions as “meaningful and productive, focusing on concrete steps and practical solutions.”
Russia cites progress and US relations
On Thursday, Russia’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev said there was progress and positive movement forward. He said active work was underway to restore Russia’s relations with the United States, including within the framework of a US-Russia working group on the economy.
Dmitriev said: “The warmongers from Europe, from Britain, are constantly trying to interfere with this process, constantly trying to meddle in it. And the more such attempts there are, the more we see that progress is definitely being made.”
Russia has accused Ukraine’s European allies, including Britain, of prolonging the war through their support for Kyiv.
RIA reports separate exchange figures
Russia’s state news agency RIA later reported that Russia and Ukraine exchanged 157 prisoners of war each, citing the Defence Ministry. It also reported that three civilians from the Kursk region were returned to Russia.
How do you think prisoner exchanges affect the prospects for further negotiations?