Russia - Ukraine Exchange Prisoners of War After Dialogue in Abu Dhabi

JAKARTA - Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of war, following a constructive trilateral dialogue involving the United States in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Russia, Ukraine and the United States resumed trilateral dialogue on February 4-5 to find a way to end the war between the two neighboring countries that has lasted for four years.

"The exchange involved 314 prisoners - 157 prisoners each party - so the total number of prisoners exchanged through the mediation efforts of the UAE became 4,955," the state news agency WAM reported on Thursday night, quoted from The National (6/2).

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the exchange in a post on his social media.

"Today's exchange comes after a long pause, and it is very important that we can make it happen," he wrote on X.

"I am grateful to everyone who worked to make this exchange possible, as well as everyone on the front lines who contributed to expanding the Ukrainian exchange fund. Without the determination of our fighters, such an exchange would not be possible," tweeted President Zelensky.

Previously, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in his tweet on the social media X announced the release of the prisoner, adding that it came from productive and detailed talks in Abu Dhabi.

"Today, delegations from the US, Ukraine, and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisoners - the first exchange in five months," wrote Steve Witkoff.

"This result was achieved from detailed and productive peace talks," he continued.

"Although there is still much work to be done, steps like this show that continued diplomatic engagement is delivering real results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Discussions will continue, with additional progress expected in the coming weeks," he said.

Witkoff thanked the UAE for hosting the talks and praised US President Donald Trump "for his leadership in bringing this deal to fruition."

Meanwhile, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked Russia and Ukraine for their cooperation with the Emirate's mediation efforts.

The ministry said the latest prisoner exchange coincided with trilateral talks hosted by Abu Dhabi, which it said reflected the UAE's commitment to strategic cooperation and highlighted international confidence in its role in enabling dialogue.

The total number of Emirati mediations that took place during the crisis was 18, reflecting the depth of the ties that unite the UAE with Russia and Ukraine.

The ministry emphasized that the UAE will continue to work to support various efforts to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine and to reduce the humanitarian impact it has caused.

Reuters reported that talks in Abu Dhabi ended Thursday afternoon. Both Russia and Ukraine said the talks were positive, he added.

Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said late Wednesday the discussions were "meaningful and productive", "Focused on concrete steps and practical solutions".

Meanwhile, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on Thursday there was progress and a positive atmosphere.

"The war instigators from Europe, from Britain, are constantly trying to disrupt this process, constantly trying to mix it up," reported Reuters, quoting Dmitriev.

"And the more such efforts, the more we see that progress is definitely being made," he concluded.