Ukraine and Russia carry out first prisoner exchange in months as U.S. touts "tangible results" in peace talks
CBSN
Kyiv - U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff announced Thursday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to exchange 314 prisoners during the second round of U.S.-mediated peace talks between the two countries in Abu Dhabi. In:
Kyiv - U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff announced Thursday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to exchange 314 prisoners during the second round of U.S.-mediated peace talks between the two countries in Abu Dhabi.
Two hours later, Russia's defense ministry released a video of freed prisoners of war draped in Russian flags boarding a bus in Belarus, a Russian ally that borders Ukraine and Russia, confirming the exchanges of 157 prisoners from each country.
Witkoff said the two days of trilateral negotiations in the United Arab Emirates capital were "detailed and productive," adding that "while significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine."
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv, meanwhile, that the trilateral talks would continue "in the near future."
In a social media post, he said the exchange "came after a long pause, and it is critical that we were able to make it happen," adding his thanks to "everyone who works to make these exchanges possible," including Ukrainian soldiers, whom he appeared to laud for capturing Russians and thus, "expanding Ukraine's exchange fund."
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Kyiv - U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff announced Thursday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to exchange 314 prisoners during the second round of U.S.-mediated peace talks between the two countries in Abu Dhabi. In:
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