JAKARTA - Russia and Ukraine have exchanged more than 400 prisoners of war with the mediation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), bringing the total number of prisoners exchanged by the two countries in the war to 7,000.
Both countries agreed to release 205 prisoners on May 15, as part of the UAE's ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict.
A total of 7,101 prisoners have been exchanged by the two countries in 23 rounds of talks mediated by the UAE since the war began more than four years ago, The National reported (15/5).
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its appreciation to Ukraine and Russia for their cooperation during the mediation efforts. The ministry added that the success of the negotiations highlighted the strong relationship it has with both countries.
The ministry also set out the UAE's commitment to securing a peaceful solution to the war and limiting the humanitarian impact of the crisis.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the return of the captives in a message on X. He said this marked the first stage of an agreement announced by US President Donald Trump last week for the two countries to release 1,000 prisoners.
"Today, soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service returned from Russian captivity," President Zelensky said.
"This is the first stage of the 1,000-to-1,000 exchange. Among those released are soldiers, sergeants, and officers." he continued.
"I am grateful to all partners who helped free Ukrainian citizens from detention. We will continue to fight for every person who is still in detention," he said.
Separately, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that Moscow had repatriated 205 Russian military members from Kyiv-controlled territory, and handed over 205 Ukrainian prisoners of war to Kyiv.
"A total of 205 Russian military members were repatriated from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime on May 15. In return, 205 Ukrainian prisoners of war were handed over. Russian military members are currently in Belarus, receiving the necessary medical and psychological assistance," the statement read, quoted from TASS.
Previously, Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said Moscow had agreed to US President Donald Trump's initiative for a ceasefire with Ukraine on May 9-11 and an exchange of 1,000-to-1,000 prisoners of war.
Ushakov noted that on May 9, Russian and Ukrainian relevant agencies were actively working on a list of prisoners of war and that an exchange would take place if an agreement was reached.
The Russian Defense Ministry noted that the United Arab Emirates provided humanitarian mediation for the repatriation of Russian military members from Ukrainian detention.
The Russian-Ukrainian war coincided with Moscow's troops' aggression into Ukrainian territory on February 24, 2022.
It is known that the UAE has played a key role in global efforts to end the protracted conflict in Europe.
In January, Abu Dhabi hosted US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine aimed at advancing peace efforts.
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