Two days of talks in Abu Dhabi ended on Wednesday, Nov. 11, with no ceasefire and no deal on territory. But the two sides did agree on one concrete thing, and it matters to a lot of families.
Russia and Ukraine agreed in principle to a large exchange of prisoners of war. Jared Kushner called it the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners of the war so far. He said the final numbers would be settled on Thursday, Nov. 12.
What was agreed, and what was not
The talks were the first meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in nine months, and the first three way round with the United States since talks in Geneva in February. Hopes for a big breakthrough were low going in, and that is how it played out.
There was no ceasefire. There was no breakthrough on territory or on security guarantees for Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had said Moscow would not agree to an immediate ceasefire without knowing what would follow, and nothing in Abu Dhabi changed that.
The prisoner swap was the one clear result. Vladimir Medinsky, who led the Russian delegation, and Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, both confirmed the planned exchange. No final figure and no date for the release were announced when the talks ended.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said negotiators had discussed releasing 1,000 prisoners from each side, potentially rising to 1,500 each. Kushner said the numbers would be finalized on Thursday. Until that happens, treat the 1,000 figure as a proposal under discussion, not a done deal.
The timeline so far
- Feb. 2026: The last three way talks with the United States took place in Geneva.
- Nov. 10 to 11: U.S., Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Abu Dhabi, led on the American side by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
- Nov. 11: The talks ended with a prisoner exchange agreed in principle, but no ceasefire and no territorial deal.
- Nov. 12: Witkoff and Kushner traveled to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin about the results.
- Next: After Moscow, the two envoys plan to travel to Dublin to meet Zelensky.
Why Moscow matters now
Kushner said one goal of the Moscow meeting is to try to get Europeans added to the talks. He noted that both Ukraine and Russia needed clarity on post war security arrangements, and that European countries, the EU and NATO have to be involved to build consensus on next steps.
Here is the thing conservatives should keep in mind. A deal that brings prisoners home is worth cheering. A deal that trades away Ukrainian land or leaves Ukraine without real security guarantees is not. The first step does not guarantee the second, and it should not be used to rush the second.
What is still unanswered is the part that matters most to the families waiting. How many prisoners, on what date, and who is included? Those numbers were due to be finalized on Thursday, Nov. 12. Until they are, this is a promise, not a homecoming.
Peace talks move at the speed of diplomacy, which is to say, slowly. For once, at least, they moved in the right direction.
Sources
- New York Post: Russia and Ukraine agree to a large exchange of prisoners of war, officials at Abu Dhabi talks say
- Virginia Times Now: Prisoner Exchange in Abu Dhabi: Russia, Ukraine Agree Deal
- Glasgow Times: US envoys in Moscow to meet Putin following talks in Abu Dhabi
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