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

Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large exchange of prisoners of war during U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi, according to officials at the negotiations.^{⁠[19, 20, 29]} Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, and Rustem Umerov, who led Kyiv's delegation, confirmed the planned exchange.^⁠[29] The talks, which began Tuesday and continued into a second day on Wednesday, were the first U.S.-mediated meetings between the two countries in nine months.^{⁠[15, 20]}

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the meeting "very productive," and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the first session as "constructive and quite substantive."^⁠[15] Zelenskyy also welcomed a change in message from the U.S. mediators as the second day got under way, The Guardian reported.^⁠[3]

Major disputes over territory, ceasefire terms and security guarantees remain unresolved, according to International Business Times.^⁠[10] Semafor reported that the negotiations have stalled, with the U.S.-mediated talks aiming to broker a potential truce on attacks against energy infrastructure and shipping in the Black Sea.^⁠[30]

Why it matters The prisoner exchange is the first concrete agreement to come out of the talks, which continue as the sides remain divided over territory, ceasefire terms and security guarantees.^{⁠[10, 29]}

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Read first Russia and Ukraine hold nearly 4 hours of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi · PBS NewsHour