JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country expects a prisoner exchange to take place between Russia and Ukraine "in the near future," as the two countries and the United States are holding talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) to find a way to end the war that has lasted for four years.
In a video address published on Wednesday evening, President Zelensky said he received reports from Kyiv's negotiating team about trilateral talks in the UAE that day, and that there were also consultations between the Ukrainian side and the US.
"We discussed the provisional results of today's negotiations. Negotiations will continue tomorrow (Thursday). There will also be significant steps: we expect the exchange of prisoners of war in the near future. The prisoners must be brought home," he said, without giving further details, launching Anadolu (5/2).
Russia and Ukraine last exchanged prisoners on October 2, 2025, as part of an agreement reached in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul, which earlier that year hosted three rounds of direct peace talks.
President Zelensky's speech was delivered when the second round of trilateral talks began in the UAE capital on Wednesday and continued on Thursday.
Previously, an initial two-day consultation was held between the two countries on January 23-24, also in Abu Dhabi, with the participation of the Uncle Sam's country.
Both Kyiv and Washington described the first round of talks as "constructive," while Moscow said contacts had begun in a constructive manner, with "significant work ahead."
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