Russia-Ukraine talks end with agreement on prisoner swap

Russian state news agency RIA reports that Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 157 prisoners of war each.Published On 5 Feb 2026Ukraine and Russia have concluded a second day of US-brokered negotiations in the United Arab Emirates, reaching an agreement to exchange 314 prisoners of war.US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who was leading the American mediation team alongside Jared Kushner, confirmed the prisoner deal in a post on X on Thursday, saying 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.”Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Ukraine says first day of peace talks with Russia ‘productive’list 2 of 3Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,442list 3 of 3Zelenskyy reveals 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed fighting against Russiaend of listBefore the session’s conclusion, Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev told state media that “things are moving forward in a good, positive direction.” He also said that active work was underway to restore Russia’s relations with the US, including within the framework of a US-Russia working ‍group on the economy.However, he criticised what he described as attempts by European nations to “disrupt the progress” and “meddle” in the process.The first round of trilateral negotiations took place in late January but appeared to make little progress on the vital question of territory. Moscow is demanding Kyiv cede a fifth of the Donetsk region that it still controls, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government is refusing to do.Prisoner exchange dealRussian state news agency RIA later reported that Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 157 prisoners of war each, citing the Defense Ministry. Three civilians from the Kursk region were also returned to Russia.It was the first such agreement between the two nations in several months. The last time Moscow and Kyiv successfully conducted a prisoner swap was on October 2, 2025, facilitated by the “Istanbul agreements” following three rounds of direct negotiations held in the Turkish city earlier that year.