"1,000-for-1,000" or "1,500-for-1,500" prisoner swap is possible after UAE talks – Zelenskyy
Ukraine and Russia discussed a possible prisoner-of-war exchange of "1,000 for 1,000" or "1,500 for 1,500" during trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this while speaking to reporters, Censor.NET reports.
Prisoner exchange
"We talked it over with the team. Tomorrow is their main day. Today they discussed the possibility of an exchange. They want to do 1,000 for 1,000, maybe 1,500 for 1,500. Some kind of large-scale exchange. The Americans will go to Russia with that agenda," the head of state said.
Other topics
Zelenskyy added that the Russian side had raised the territorial issue. He reiterated that it was a matter for leaders to address.
The president said NATO and the EU were another important topic raised in the talks. He noted that Ukraine was seeking to develop a common position with the European Union and the United States.
The president said the parties would discuss de-escalation measures, energy issues, the situation in the Black Sea, a possible prisoner exchange and, if feasible, a trilateral leaders’ meeting in more detail on November 11.
Talks in Abu Dhabi
- US-mediated talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations took place in the UAE on November 10. It was the first such meeting since February 2026.
- Before meeting with Russia, Ukraine held talks with representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission. US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also joined those talks.
- The Ukrainian delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service. Its members include Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov, Servant of the People faction leader Davyd Arakhamiia, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Serhii Kyslytsia, and Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy chief of the Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate.
- Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, leads the Russian delegation. Igor Kostyukov and Yuri Zhigarlovsky, representing two directorates of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and Russian Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin will also take part in the Abu Dhabi meeting.
- NATO is represented in Abu Dhabi by Chief of Staff Geoffrey van Leeuwen, the chief strategic adviser to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
