Prisoner Exchange Highlights Tensions as Russia-Ukraine Talks Conclude

Fri Feb 06 2026 01:21:30 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Recent peace talks in Abu Dhabi between Russia and Ukraine concluded without significant progress, despite a notable prisoner exchange of 157 soldiers from each side.

In a rare move, Russia and Ukraine executed a prisoner swap involving 157 soldiers from each nation following US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi. While this development marked the first such exchange in four months, negotiations for a broader peace agreement remain stalled. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for quicker results as both nations grapple with unresolved territorial disputes and security guarantees amidst ongoing conflict.

Ukraine and Russia have conducted a rare exchange of prisoners of war and civilians after two days of US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi.

A total of 157 Ukrainians - seven of them civilians - and 157 Russian soldiers were returned home in the first such swap in four months.

Russian, Ukrainian and US teams took part in the talks in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, with significant sticking points being territorial concessions Ukraine is under pressure to make and security guarantees necessary to prevent further Russian attacks if a deal is agreed to end the four-year war.

No breakthrough has been reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the talks had not been easy and he wanted 'faster results'.

In a post on social media, Zelensky noted that Thursday's prisoner exchange 'took place after a long pause', referring to the previous swap last October.

'We are returning our people home - 157 Ukrainians. Soldiers of the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Service. And civilians are also returning with the defenders. Most have been in captivity since 2012,' the Ukrainian president stated, emphasizing his commitment to bringing back every Ukrainian still in Russian custody.

Russian officials confirmed the return of 157 of its POWs, including three civilians described as 'illegally held'.

The talks in Abu Dhabi represent an ongoing effort led by US President Donald Trump to negotiate an end to the war, with significant focus on territorial disputes and security guarantees from European allies and the US.

Amidst these political negotiations, Moscow has intensified its military actions against Ukraine, especially targeting the energy sector during harsh winter conditions, which has left many without basic utilities.