Trump Envoys Head to Moscow After Abu Dhabi Ukraine Talks Yield Prisoner Exchange Agreement
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are heading to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin after multi-nation talks in Abu Dhabi ended without a broader breakthrough but secured an agreement for a major prisoner exchange.
- US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
- Abu Dhabi talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials yielded an agreement in principle on a major prisoner exchange.
- Fighting continues across Ukraine, with recent strikes causing casualties in the Odesa region and damage in Russian port facilities.
US President Donald Trump’s representatives, Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, announced plans to travel to Moscow for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The upcoming visit follows two days of mediated negotiations in Abu Dhabi involving Russian, Ukrainian, and American delegations, marking the first direct contact between Russian and Ukrainian representatives in nine months amid the nearly five-year conflict.
Humanitarian Progress Amid Continued Divergence
While the Abu Dhabi sessions concluded without a definitive breakthrough on ending the war, participants reached an agreement in principle on a major humanitarian release of prisoners. Kushner noted that negotiators would finalize prisoner numbers during upcoming discussions, a development confirmed by Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky and Ukraine's lead negotiator Rustem Umerov. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the prisoner exchange proposal while reiterating that Kyiv rejects demands to surrender Russian-occupied territory for peace. Meanwhile, senior Russian envoy Vladimir Medinsky stated that Moscow’s core demands remain unchanged.
Diplomatic Itinerary and European Involvement
Following their scheduled meetings in Moscow, Kushner and Witkoff plan to travel to Ireland for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to review proposals emerging from the United Arab Emirates. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized Washington's objective to integrate European states into the diplomatic track. European delegations maintained a parallel presence in the UAE capital for separate discussions alongside Ukrainian and American counterparts, as continental leaders demand formal participation in ongoing peace initiatives.
Ongoing Frontline Hostilities
As diplomatic efforts continue, active fighting persists across the region. A daytime Russian strike on a market in the southern Odesa region killed three people and injured 11, according to local authorities. Additional overnight strikes in the Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions wounded seven civilians and damaged residential property. Concurrently, the Russian Defence Ministry reported intercepting hundreds of Ukrainian drones overnight, including 150 near St Petersburg, where regional officials noted a fire broke out at the Ust-Luga port oil export facility and injured three workers.
- Kushner and Witkoff traveled to Moscow after talks in Abu Dhabi.
- Negotiators agreed in principle on a large prisoner exchange.
- Active fighting and drone attacks continued across multiple regions.
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