Two days of U.S.-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi ended Wednesday with agreement on what American envoy Jared Kushner called a record prisoner exchange, but without a breakthrough on a ceasefire or the territorial disputes at the heart of the nearly five-year war.
The next step moves quickly: Kushner and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are set to travel to Moscow on Thursday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, then fly to Dublin to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the Associated Press and Euronews.
What was agreed
Speaking at the close of the talks, Kushner said the sides had agreed to “the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners,” the AP reported. He said the final numbers would be settled on Thursday. The heads of both delegations, Vladimir Medinsky for Russia and Rustem Umerov for Ukraine, confirmed the planned exchange but did not give details on timing or size.
Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that negotiators had discussed swapping 1,000 prisoners from each side, possibly rising to 1,500 each, according to Euronews and the Kyiv Post. Interfax-Ukraine reported that the sides had agreed after the first day to a large exchange of 1,000 for 1,000 or more. If it goes ahead at that scale, it would match the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange agreed in Istanbul in May 2025.
How the two days unfolded
The talks were the first direct meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in nine months; the previous round, in Geneva in February, produced no breakthrough. The first session on Tuesday lasted about four to four and a half hours. Zelenskyy described it as constructive and substantive, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the meeting as very productive while cautioning that a breakthrough will take time.
Wednesday’s three-way session was much shorter. The Kyiv Post, citing Russia’s TASS news agency, reported that it ran just under two hours behind closed doors. Ukrainian media reported that day two touched on a possible ceasefire, energy and Black Sea security. Umerov then held a separate meeting with European officials.
Much of the focus was humanitarian, the AP said: prisoner exchanges, Ukrainian civilians held in captivity and children taken from Ukraine. Security guarantees were also discussed.
Where the sides still stand apart
- Territory: Russia demands that Ukraine withdraw from the part of the Donbas region it still controls. Zelenskyy has refused and says territorial questions must be settled by leaders. Reuters reports that Russia controls about one-fifth of Ukraine.
- Ceasefire: Moscow rejects an immediate truce and wants broader security arrangements agreed first, Euronews reported.
- NATO and security: Reuters said Moscow wants Ukraine to adopt neutral status and stay out of NATO, while both sides want security guarantees. The Kyiv Post said Russia also raised its December 2021 proposals on limiting NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe.
- Europe’s seat: Representatives of European governments, the EU and NATO consulted with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi but were not in the three-way talks. The Kremlin said its delegation had no contact with them, and Medinsky questioned why they were there.
The AP noted that neither side has shown real willingness to compromise on its core demands and that little territory has changed hands on the front line this year.
Fighting continued during the talks
Even as delegations met, attacks went on. The AP reported overnight Russian strikes on the Zaporizhzhia region and the city of Kharkiv that wounded seven civilians. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it downed 627 Ukrainian drones overnight, and drones started a fire at the Ust-Luga oil port near St. Petersburg, injuring three workers, according to the regional governor. Reuters, which could not independently verify the reports, said Ukraine’s prime minister reported Russian strikes on six large electricity substations.
Why it matters for families
For thousands of Ukrainian and Russian families, a large prisoner exchange could mean a long-awaited homecoming for sons, husbands, fathers and civilians held for months or years. The talks’ focus on children taken from Ukraine also matters deeply to parents still searching for answers. For the wider world, including American households, the war’s direction affects energy prices, food supplies and global security, which is why each round of diplomacy draws close attention.
What to watch next: the final prisoner numbers on Thursday, the Witkoff-Kushner meeting with Putin in Moscow, their follow-up talks with Zelenskyy in Dublin, and whether Europe chooses a representative for future talks. The Kyiv Post reported Zelenskyy hopes that decision comes at a Nov. 19 meeting of Ukraine’s allies in Germany. Upstormed News will follow this story.
Do you think a large prisoner exchange can build momentum toward peace? Tell us in the comments.
Related coverage: Ukraine, Russia Reportedly Agree on Big Prisoner Swap as Abu Dhabi Talks Go to Day Two · Ukraine, Russia and U.S. Open Abu Dhabi Peace Talks Tuesday as Europe Seeks a Role
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Sources: AP via WSVN, “Russia and Ukraine agree to a large exchange of prisoners of war, officials at Abu Dhabi talks say” (Nov. 11, 2026); Euronews, “Abu Dhabi peace talks end with prisoner exchange agreement as US envoys prepare to meet Putin” (Nov. 11, 2026); Kyiv Post, “Ukraine, US and Russia End Second Day of Abu Dhabi Peace Talks as Key Territorial Disputes Remain” (Nov. 11, 2026); Reuters via Daily Sabah, “Abu Dhabi trilateral talks to end Russia-Ukraine war enter 2nd day” (Nov. 11, 2026); Interfax-Ukraine, “Second day of Abu Dhabi talks to begin with trilateral format involving U.S. and Russia – Umerov” (Nov. 11, 2026)
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