Abu Dhabi talks end with a large Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap agreed, but no deal on the war itself

Russia and Ukraine agreed a large exchange of prisoners of war as US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi ended on Wednesday, November 11, with both the American mediator and Moscow’s chief negotiator confirming it. The exact numbers are to be agreed on Thursday. No ceasefire, territorial arrangement or leaders’ meeting was announced, and the second day’s session lasted less than two hours.

Jared Kushner, the White House special envoy, confirmed the prisoner agreement at a briefing alongside Ukraine’s negotiators and described it as a large-scale humanitarian release of detainees. Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s chief negotiator and a Putin adviser, said details would be announced “shortly”. Rustem Umerov, who heads Ukraine’s delegation, thanked the American envoys, spoke of significant progress in recent months, especially on exchanges, and said another swap had been agreed with the figure to follow.

What was agreed, and what was not

Medinsky said the talks reached understandings on some issues but not others, without saying which. The prisoner swap is the only concrete result reported. Before the session, Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said an exchange of 1,000 for 1,000, perhaps 1,500 for 1,500, was under discussion. That range has not been confirmed by either government.

The agenda reported by Ukrainian officials also included a possible meeting of the three presidents, a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure and security in the Black Sea. None of those produced an announcement. Kushner warned that deep distrust between the two sides is a major obstacle to a peace deal.

How the two days went

The first day, on Tuesday, November 10, ran about four hours. Ukrainian officials described it as constructive and substantive, with humanitarian steps and security guarantees at the centre; our day-one report has who sat in the room. Zelenskyy had also said on Tuesday that Russian delegates claimed to hold about half of the Donbas land Kyiv controls, a claim Kyiv rejected, as we reported earlier today.

On Wednesday the Russia-Ukraine session was followed by a round between the Ukrainians and European representatives. Topics across the two days also included security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe, Russia’s own security demands, Ukraine’s reconstruction and a new European security architecture.

The European seat

Medinsky dismissed Europe’s part, saying its military support for Ukraine keeps it from being a serious participant and that European countries could become full partners only when their “conscience awakens”. The Kremlin said Putin was being updated regularly and that its delegation had no contacts with Europeans in Abu Dhabi. US officials, meanwhile, have said they want the Ukraine war and continent-wide security arrangements settled together, with Europeans at the table. Zelenskyy hopes Europe will decide who represents it at a November 19 meeting of the coalition of the willing in Germany.

Why it matters

For families of soldiers and civilians held on both sides, the swap is the one result that will change lives within days, and earlier rounds in Abu Dhabi also produced exchanges. For the wider world, including India, the lack of progress on energy attacks and the Black Sea means the risks to oil and food shipping stay. These were the first three-way talks since February, after the diplomatic track stalled for more than eight months, and expectations going in were low.

What happens next

Witkoff and Kushner are reported to be flying to Moscow on Thursday, November 12 to brief Putin, and then to meet Zelenskyy in Ireland. Kyiv and Moscow are to settle the swap numbers the same day. No date has been set for another trilateral round.