Kyiv and Moscow on Wednesday agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange as the final day of peace talks in Abu Dhabi came to an end, though neither side gave a concrete figure. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will separately meet Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday as they seek to seize "openings" from two days of talks in Abu Dhabi on ending the Ukraine war.
The two men will travel first to Moscow to meet the Russian president, before flying to Dublin – where Zelensky will attend European meetings – to debrief the Ukrainian leader.
Arriving in Ireland, Zelensky said there could be a "window of opportunity" to end Europe's worst conflict since World War II before 2027.
"What's important is that the Americans flew to Putin with specifics. I would very much like them to return to Dublin with specifics," he said, adding that, while he was still sceptical, "there is hope".
He also welcomed what he called "change in tone" from the US on the prospect of Europe's inclusion in the Washington-mediated talks, saying the "American side is treating it more positively, more warmly."
