Prisoner exchange, new Russian ultimatum: Outcomes of Abu Dhabi talks
Photo: Ukraine, the US, and Russia held a second round of talks in Abu Dhabi (mofa.gov.ae)
The second round of talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia in Abu Dhabi has concluded. The consultations lasted on Feb. 4-5, with the parties working for almost five hours each day.
RBC-Ukraine reports on the main outcomes of the two-day meeting and what was achieved.
Read also: Why new Ukraine–US–Russia talks matter
Key points:
- The second round of Ukraine–US–Russia talks in Abu Dhabi lasted two days.
- The parties worked for almost five hours each day.
- The three countries agreed that the next meeting would take place in the near future.
- The United States announced an agreement to exchange 314 POWs.
- Zelenskyy confirmed the agreement on the exchange and called it a substantial result.
- Today, 157 Ukrainians returned home from Russian captivity.
- Through its media, Russia is promoting a new demand to “recognize Donbas” as Russian by all countries. Zelenskyy rejects this.
- Peskov said Moscow would continue the war until Ukraine makes the “necessary decisions”.
Who took part in the talks?
The negotiation process took place through trilateral consultations, work in groups, and subsequent synchronization of positions.
The Ukrainian delegation included:
- Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov (head of the delegation);
- Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov;
- Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Sergiy Kyslytsya;
- Chief of the General Staff General Andrii Hnatov;
- Advisor to the Office of the President Oleksandr Bevz;
- Head of the Servant of the People faction Davyd Arakhamia.
From the US side, the talks were attended by:
- Envoys of Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner;
- US Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll;
- American general Alexus Grynkewich.
The Russian side was represented at a high military level. It was headed by GRU chief Igor Kostyukov.
What the sides said
United States
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said that today, during the talk,s the parties agreed on:
- An exchange of 314 POWs between Ukraine and Russia.
- The discussions will continue, and “additional progress" is expected in the coming weeks.
Ukraine
- Budanov, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine, called the talks constructive and thanked the US and the UAE for mediation.
- Zelenskyy said that during the talks in Abu Dhabi, they “talked about everything” and that the information is “very sensitive”. The Ukrainian team will return and brief the president on the details. He will then communicate this to the media.
- The agreement on the prisoner exchange is a “substantial result”.
- Kyiv notes that partners must be ready to provide Ukraine with real security guarantees and to increase pressure on the aggressor.
- Ukraine insists that there should be no “rewards” for Russia; otherwise, Moscow may later sabotage any agreements.
Russia
- Pro-Kremlin media reported that Russia allegedly put forward a new demand within the framework of a “big deal” — the “recognition of Donbas” as Russian by all countries of the world. (Zelenskyy rejects this. He said it would achieve nothing and that certainly not all countries would sign such “recognition” documents.)
- For a long time now, Moscow has officially continued to promote its old position: the withdrawal of Ukraine’s Defense Forces from all of Donbas, as well as from the territories of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, including areas that Russia does not even control.
- The Kremlin demands that Kyiv make the “necessary decisions”, clearly hinting at ultimatums about territories.
- Meanwhile, Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev spoke of “positive movement” in the talks and once again accused Europe of “hindering the process”.
On Jan. 23–24, the first round of talks involving representatives of Ukraine, the United States, and Russia took place in Abu Dhabi.
The sides discussed, among other things, energy issues, and it was possible to reach the energy truce, but it did not last even a week.
Russia disrupted the initiative by carrying out a massive ballistic strike on Ukrainian power and heating plants, leaving more than 1,000 buildings without heating amid freezing temperatures.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called this attack a violation of the declared pause and said that Ukraine expects a reaction from the United States.
However, Trump claims that Putin “kept his word”. According to him, the pause lasted “from Sunday to Sunday, and that’s a lot”.
RBC-Ukraine detailed the results of the first round of talks in Abu Dhabi in a separate piece.
