Russia and Ukraine agree to a large prisoner swap on day one of US-led Abu Dhabi talks; up to 1,500 each discussed
In their first US-brokered talks since February, the two sides spoke for nearly four hours. Zelenskyy called the session 'constructive'. A second day of talks is under way.
- Day one: nearly 4 hours
- Last talks: Feb 2026
- Swap options: 1,000 or 1,500 each
What happened on day one
Ukrainian and Russian delegations met in Abu Dhabi on 10 November, with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in the room. It was their first US-brokered meeting in about nine months. Ukraine's team was led by Rustem Umerov and Russia's by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky.
The prisoner deal
According to Ukrainian media, the sides agreed to carry out a large prisoner exchange soon. No official numbers or dates were given. Zelenskyy said a swap of 1,000 for 1,000, or even 1,500 for 1,500, was being discussed.
The hard part
The US wants to settle security guarantees first and leave borders until the end. Ukraine wants Russia pushed back to the pre-war line; Moscow wants all of Donbas. Kushner said the gaps had narrowed, but analysts do not expect a breakthrough this week.
