2nd round of Russia-Ukraine talks ends in UAE with prisoner swap deal, key differences unresolved

The second round of U.S.-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine concluded in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, with both sides agreeing to a large-scale prisoner exchange but failing to reach substantive breakthroughs on core issues, including territorial arrangements and a ceasefire.

According to Ukraine, the talks were conducted trilaterally before moving to group consultations. White House envoy Steve Witkoff said the delegations "had extensive discussions on outstanding issues, including ways to implement a ceasefire and to monitor the cessation of military activities", adding that greater efforts would be required to advance a comprehensive settlement of the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the talks in Abu Dhabi "have not been easy" and that Kiev would like to see faster progress toward ending the conflict. Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said the Ukrainian delegation sought a "dignified and lasting peace" without disclosing specific outcomes.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an interview with the Russian news agency RT, accused Europe of obstructing Russia-U.S. negotiations. "All they are doing now is impeding and obstructing the negotiations started between us and the Americans, and now the Ukrainian representatives are also joining them," he said.

He also called Europe's plan to respond to possible violations of peace agreements in Ukraine "absurd." "Over the past year, the West - especially Europe - has kept repeating one thing: we need reliable security guarantees - an immediate ceasefire and security guarantees. We asked them: if the underlying problems are not solved, wouldn't these guarantees simply mean that any ceasefire would be used to send more weapons to Ukraine? They did not grasp this logic, they did not react at all,' Lavrov explained, adding that Russia demands a 'neutral and benevolent Ukraine."

The talks ended with no joint political or security statement, underscoring persistent differences between Russia and Ukraine on key matters, including territorial disputes, ceasefire arrangements, and security guarantees.

Following the talks, Russia and Ukraine held their first large-scale prisoner exchange in nearly five months, with each side returning 157 detainees. Zelenskyy said the released detainees included both military personnel and civilians.

During the summit, it was reportedly agreed to 'continue trilateral talks in the coming weeks' without providing further details. Zelenskyy said in his Thursday evening address that the next peace talks may take place in America.

"Today I received a report from our negotiating team after two days of meetings and talks in the United Arab Emirates with the American side and the Russian side. What can already be said is that further meetings are planned in the near future, probably in the United States," Zelenskyy said.

In a statement issued earlier, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the cooperation between Russia and Ukraine on the prisoner exchange, noting that it demonstrated the UAE's role as a reliable mediator in easing the crisis and promoting constructive dialogue.

(With input from Xinhua)