Significant prisoner swap planned after Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi

Vladimir Medinsky, leading the Russian delegation, and Rustem Umerov, representing Kyiv, both confirmed the upcoming exchange. The meeting, the first in nine months between the two sides, was initially viewed with limited expectations for major progress in ending the ongoing conflict.

U.S. officials are attempting to revitalize peace efforts that have previously yielded minimal results. Kushner and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff are scheduled to travel to Moscow on Thursday to meet with President Vladimir Putin, followed by a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin.

The negotiations are taking place amidst shifting geopolitical dynamics, including potential changes in U.S. Congressional support for Ukraine following recent midterm elections and economic pressures on both Russia and Ukraine due to the war.

Ukrainian officials are also expected to meet with European representatives Wednesday. Despite Moscow’s preference for excluding European involvement, representatives from European governments, the European Union, and NATO were present in Abu Dhabi, consulting with the Ukrainian delegation.

President Zelenskyy characterized Tuesday’s session as “constructive and quite substantive,” focusing on humanitarian issues such as prisoner exchanges, the return of Ukrainian civilians, and children taken from the country. Security guarantees were also discussed, though no compromises have been reached on core demands.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the meeting as “very productive,” while emphasizing that a resolution to the conflict will require time. The talks occurred against a backdrop of ongoing fighting with limited territorial changes and continued missile and drone attacks.

Overnight, Russia targeted the Zaporizhzhia region and Kharkiv, resulting in seven civilian injuries and property damage. Russian air defenses reportedly intercepted 627 Ukrainian drones, with 150 striking near St. Petersburg, triggering a fire at the Ust-Luga port, a key oil export facility, and injuring three workers, according to Governor Alexander Drozdenko.