Translated with AI
Two days of closed-door talks between delegations from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States concluded on February 5 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The meetings focused on ways to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
Diana Davityan, press secretary for the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, announced the conclusion of the negotiations. According to her, the negotiation process has concluded, and further communication between the parties is expected later.
The meetings were held without the participation of the press. The American side was represented at the talks by Special Presidential Envoy Steven Witkoff , the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner , and US Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll . The Ukrainian delegation was led by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov. The Russian delegation was led by Admiral Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
In Kyiv, the negotiations were described as complex but constructive. Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office , Kyrylo Budanov, stated that the consultations were constructive, but did not provide details. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the negotiations were challenging. Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk , he emphasized that Ukraine maintains a constructive approach and is interested in achieving faster results in the negotiation process.
Earlier, the Russian news agency TASS reported that economic issues, territorial status, and ceasefire mechanisms were discussed during the talks. According to the agency, the Russian side announced progress on a possible peace agreement with Ukraine.
US Special Presidential Envoy Steven Witkoff announced that an agreement on a prisoner exchange had been reached following the talks. He stated that the parties had agreed to exchange 314 prisoners. He emphasized that this was the first such exchange in five months. Witkoff also noted that discussions would continue, with further progress expected in the coming weeks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed the existence of an agreement on a prisoner exchange yesterday evening, but did not specify the number of prisoners of war.
The Russian Ministry of Defense, for its part, reported that the exchange had already taken place under the "157 for 157" formula. In addition, three civilians from the Kursk region were returned as part of the exchange. According to the TASS news agency, the Russian servicemen who returned from captivity are currently in Belarus.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, called the first part of the consultations productive and substantive. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the list of unresolved issues following the talks had been significantly reduced and that the participants had achieved real progress. However, he noted that the most difficult issues remain unresolved, and hostilities in Ukraine continue.
