An exchange of 314 prisoners of war has been agreed following U.S.-brokered trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi between delegations from the United States, Ukraine and Russia, according to U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
In a post on X on Thursday, Witkoff said the agreement marked the first prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine in five months.
“Today, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisoners,” he wrote, describing the outcome as the result of “detailed and productive” negotiations.
Witkoff said that while significant work remains to end the war, steps such as the prisoner exchange demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results. He added that discussions would continue, with further progress anticipated in the coming weeks.
It was not immediately clear whether the figure of 314 refers to the total number of prisoners to be released or the number to be exchanged by each side.
Ukraine’s lead negotiator earlier described the first day of the new round of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi as “productive,” even as fighting continued along the front lines. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Kyiv expected the talks to lead to a new prisoner swap.
Russia and Ukraine last carried out a prisoner exchange on 2 October 2025, following agreements reached in Istanbul, which hosted several rounds of direct talks earlier that year.
The second round of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi follows initial consultations held on 23–24 January. The United Arab Emirates is hosting the talks as part of wider international efforts to explore confidence-building measures and potential pathways towards ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
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An exchange of 314 prisoners of war has been agreed following U.S.-brokered trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi between delegations from the United St...
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