After a break of more than eight months, Russia and Ukraine are speaking directly to each other again under US mediation. There is talk of a possible prisoner exchange - and what is planned for today?
The first day of negotiations between Russians and Ukrainians in Abu Dhabi did not bring any significant progress. Photo: Altaf Qadri/Pool AP/dpa
Abu Dhabi. A possible three-way meeting at presidential level is expected to be among the topics in Abu Dhabi on the second day of negotiations to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. This was announced by Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky - and spoke of the “main day” of the talks. In the emirate on the Persian Gulf, today it will also be about de-escalation in mutual attacks on the energy sector and in the Black Sea, as well as another prisoner exchange.
The meeting in the United Arab Emirates marks the first direct working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia mediated by the United States in more than eight months. The first round on Tuesday did not bring any significant progress.
US mediator Jared Kushner, who is also the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, was nevertheless “confident”. He spoke of “constructive conversations” on Platform X. Work continues to end the “devastating war”. Russia began a war of aggression against its neighboring country in February 2022.
Ischinger is skeptical about any chances of a breakthrough
Before the second day of negotiations, the ex-chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, did not expect any significant progress. “I am very skeptical as to whether the talks taking place now in Abu Dhabi and in the next few weeks will lead to a breakthrough,” he told the Funke media group.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not let economic benefits buy his way into giving in on the Ukraine issue. The USA sent the “wrong signals” here. It is still likely that Putin will seek a negotiated solution within US President Trump's remaining two years in office.
Zelenskyj: Exchange of over 1,000 prisoners
Meanwhile, there was disagreement as to whether an agreement on a prisoner exchange was reached on the first day. According to Zelenskyj, such an exchange was primarily discussed. “One would like to exchange 1,000 for 1,000, possibly 1,500 for 1,500, a big exchange,” Zelensky said at a news conference in Copenhagen.
The US delegation will travel to Russia “with this agenda” after the negotiations, Zelensky said. The Russian side also raised the territorial issue. “This is a question at the level of the heads of state,” Zelensky emphasized, but his negotiators still had a mandate to discuss this issue. Ukraine has so far strictly rejected ceding territory to Russia as part of a peace solution.
Zelenskyj also refuses to travel to Moscow for a possible summit meeting with Putin. Putin, in turn, has repeatedly signaled his willingness to talk, but has not yet agreed to a meeting at a neutral location such as Abu Dhabi or Geneva.
Related topics
UkraineRussiaVladimir PutinDonald TrumpForeign Policy
Ukrainian media had previously reported on an agreement allegedly reached for a major prisoner exchange after the first day of talks. There was initially no official confirmation from Moscow.
Kyiv: Ukraine continues to control 20 percent of the Donbass region
On Ukrainian television, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha flatly rejected changes to administrative borders as part of a negotiated solution. Among other things, this involves the borders of the Donetsk region so that Russia could describe the region as completely conquered. He will not discuss such “nonsense”, which was brought up in a report by the British magazine “The Economist”.
Sybiha said Russian statements about control of 90 percent of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, known as Donbass, were false. “Ukraine controls 20 percent of the territory,” he said.
Published according to the editorial standards of the Handelsblatt. You can find more information in our guidelines.
