Abu Dhabi talks end with Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap deal, no ceasefire

The first face-to-face talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in nine months ended in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, 11 November, with one concrete result: an agreement in principle on what US envoy Jared Kushner called "the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners". There was no announced breakthrough on a ceasefire, territory or security guarantees.

Kushner said he and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff would fly to Moscow on Thursday, 12 November, to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, and then travel to Dublin to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is attending European leaders' meetings there this week.

What did Russia and Ukraine agree in Abu Dhabi?

The only outcome confirmed by all three delegations is a planned large-scale exchange of prisoners of war. "One of the positives is we agreed that we're going to have the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners, which we're going to finalize the numbers tomorrow," Kushner told reporters after the talks, according to the Associated Press.

The heads of both delegations confirmed it. Vladimir Medinsky, the Kremlin aide who led Russia's team, told Russian journalists: "We have reached an agreement in principle on a new large-scale prisoner exchange. The specific details will be announced in the near future," Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service and Kyiv's chief negotiator, said another exchange had been agreed and that the exact number would be announced later, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

Neither side has published the size or timing of the swap. After the first day of talks on Tuesday, Zelensky said a "1,000 for 1,000, maybe 1,500 for 1,500" format was being discussed, according to Interfax-Ukraine and Euronews. Until the numbers are confirmed, those figures should be read as the range under discussion rather than a settled deal.

For context, Russia and Ukraine also agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each during talks in Istanbul in May 2025, again without agreeing a ceasefire, Euronews noted.

How did the two days of talks unfold?

The round, mediated by the United States and hosted by the United Arab Emirates, was the first trilateral meeting since talks in Geneva in February 2026. Earlier rounds were held in Abu Dhabi in January and early February.

The first session, on Tuesday, 10 November, lasted about four hours, according to Interfax-Ukraine. Zelensky described it as "constructive and quite substantive". He said it focused mainly on humanitarian issues, including prisoner exchanges and returning Ukrainian civilians and children taken by Russia, as well as on the substance of security guarantees for Ukraine, AP reported. Interfax-Ukraine said Russia's demands for security guarantees for itself, Ukraine's reconstruction and a future European security architecture were also discussed.

The second session on Wednesday was shorter. RFE/RL reported that it ended after a little less than two hours. Umerov said on Telegram that Kyiv's team would then meet European partners separately.

Ukraine's delegation included Umerov, presidential office head Kyrylo Budanov, his first deputy Serhiy Kyslytsia, military intelligence deputy chief Vadym Skibitsky and ruling-party parliamentary leader Davyd Arakhamia, according to Interfax-Ukraine. Alongside Witkoff and Kushner, the US side included General Alexus Grynkewich, commander of US European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

What remains unresolved?

The core disputes are where they were before the talks. Russia continues to insist that Ukraine withdraw from the part of the eastern Donbas region that Kyiv still controls, while Zelensky says territorial questions can only be settled at the level of national leaders, Euronews reported. Moscow has also rejected an immediate ceasefire, saying broader security arrangements must come first.

Al Jazeera's Arabic service reported that participants announced no practical steps towards a ceasefire along the front line, no truce on attacks against energy infrastructure and no understanding on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.

Kushner acknowledged the gap. He said there was "not great trust or love between the leaders" and that "these deals do take time", according to The Guardian's live coverage. He said a meeting between Putin and Zelensky "would be great", but that "the Russians have said they would like to see more progress made before that happens".