Delegations from the United States, Ukraine and Russia have agreed to exchange 314 prisoners, marking the first such swap in five months, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday.
“Today, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisoners,” Witkoff said in a post on X, describing the agreement as a tangible result of ongoing peace talks. He added that while significant work remains to end the war, the exchange shows that sustained diplomatic engagement is producing results.
The agreement was reached during new U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, which began this week. Ukraine’s lead negotiator described the first day of discussions on Wednesday as “productive,” even as heavy fighting continued in what remains Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had previously said Kyiv expected the talks to result in a new prisoner exchange. Witkoff said discussions would continue, with further progress anticipated in the coming weeks.
Details on how many prisoners each side will release were not disclosed. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment to Reuters.
