Trilateral negotiations between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia concluded on Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, with the discussions aimed at advancing diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, reports Baltimore Chronicle via ABC News. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Kyiv anticipates a new prisoner of war exchange with Russia “in the near future” following updates from the delegation in Abu Dhabi. U.S. peace envoy Steve Witkoff detailed on X that the upcoming exchange will involve 314 prisoners, marking the first swap of this scale in five months.
The Ukrainian delegation at the talks included Rustem Umerov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Zelenskyy’s presidential office and former intelligence chief, and Andrii Hnatov, chief of the General Staff. The Russian delegation was represented by Kiril Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, and Igor Kostyukov, head of the GRU military intelligence service. The U.S. team was led by Witkoff alongside Jared Kushner, senior adviser and son-in-law of former President Donald Trump.
Umerov described Wednesday’s first round of talks as “substantive and productive, focusing on specific steps and practical solutions,” while Dmitriev told reporters that there was “certainly progress and positive movement forward,” criticizing European and British officials whom he accused of attempting to hinder the process. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that meaningful breakthroughs might not be publicly known immediately but stressed the importance of ongoing commitment from all parties.
Zelenskyy stressed that Kyiv’s priority is a clear and lasting resolution to the war, insisting that Russia must be ready for concrete security guarantees and that international partners enforce them. He also emphasized the need to prevent Russia from exploiting agreements while continuing attacks. Moscow and Kyiv previously described last month’s first round of trilateral discussions as constructive, but key issues remain, including the future of the partially occupied Donbas region, control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and post-war Western security guarantees.
The military situation remained tense alongside the diplomatic progress. Ukraine reported overnight missile and drone attacks by Russia, with 156 of 183 drones intercepted. The strikes affected Kyiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk, injuring at least two civilians. Russian forces claimed to have shot down 95 Ukrainian drones, and at least one person was injured in Russia’s Rostov region. Ukrainian forces targeted Russian-occupied sites in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk, along with an electronic warfare facility in Bryansk.
In parallel, disruptions affected unauthorized Starlink satellite terminals used by Russian forces. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov confirmed coordination with SpaceX to verify Starlink devices for Ukrainian forces, maintaining connectivity in the conflict zone. Starlink technology has been widely utilized by both sides to support operational communications and, according to Ukrainian officials, has been exploited by Russia to guide attack drones targeting civilian and military sites.
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