Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi yield prisoner exchange deal, key issues remain unresolved
Russia and Ukraine concluded two days of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday with an agreement on a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war, though major differences, including over territory, remain unresolved, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Speaking at a briefing after the talks, U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said the sides had agreed on “the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners”, with the numbers to be finalized on Thursday. Both delegations confirmed the planned exchange. The meeting in the UAE capital was the first round of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in nine months.
Kushner acknowledged that deep divisions persist, saying there is currently no trust between the two sides, which he described as expected after such a conflict. He noted that territorial issues were discussed and would be the most difficult to resolve. “Some areas we see places where we can find compromises, others (where) we need to have more discussions, but I think this was a good first step”, he added.
Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation, wrote on X that negotiators were returning to their capitals to finalize the details of the exchange. He said there were opportunities to continue the negotiation process but cautioned that significant differences remain. Territory remains the central sticking point. With positions on land deadlocked, U.S. mediators have sought to shift the focus toward postwar security guarantees and reconstruction.
We have concluded two days of negotiations in the United Arab Emirates. The main result is that we reached an agreement on a large-scale POW exchange. We are now working to finalise the details and further practical realisation. Bringing our people home remains one of our top priorities. We are doing everything possible to ensure that every Ukrainian returns from captivity as soon as possible. In the trilateral Ukraine–US–Russia format, we discussed achieving peace and Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction. The first step — to end the war and ensure security guarantees for Ukraine. Over these two days, the parties were able to present their positions directly. Significant differences remain. There is still a great deal of difficult work ahead, but there are opportunities to continue the negotiation process. I thank the United States for its active role in organising and conducting the negotiations. Special thanks to @SEPeaceMissions Steve Witkoff and @jaredkushner for their personal involvement. I am grateful to the United Arab Emirates for its hospitality and support for the negotiations, as well as to our European partners — the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and representatives of NATO and the European Commission — for their joint work in Abu Dhabi.
— Rustem Umerov (@rustem_umerov) November 11, 2026
Kushner said he and fellow U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff would travel to Moscow on Thursday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, where they plan to raise the possibility of expanding the format to include European partners. He said existing security architecture in Europe could serve as the basis for an agreement, without elaborating. The envoys will then travel to Ireland to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is due to attend a meeting of European leaders there. European and NATO representatives met with U.S. and Ukrainian envoys in Abu Dhabi, while the Russian delegation did not take part in those meetings.
Approaches to broader European security also differ. Russian officials have called for a comprehensive agreement on European security architecture before addressing the specifics of the conflict. Speaking at a security conference in Moscow on Wednesday, Alexey Drobinin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry diplomat, said Moscow could conclude non-aggression pacts with individual NATO member states as part of a new arrangement. European officials, for their part, maintain that wider security talks should follow a ceasefire.
Kyiv had also hoped the talks would advance a ceasefire covering Black Sea grain shipments, but Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, speaking during a visit to Turkey, said Ukraine was still awaiting a response from Moscow. U.S. President Donald Trump, in turn, said last week that the conflict was close to a settlement, adding that a deal could include security guarantees for Europe.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. began trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi.
