Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump and a key mediator, described the outcome as a “first good step” and a “biggest humanitarian release of prisoners.” He stated that the specific numbers would be finalized on Thursday. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, confirmed the agreement while noting that mutual understanding was reached on some issues but not others. He emphasized that the talks focused heavily on a proposed new European security framework, stating, “The world needs a new, modern, updated security system — one that is fair and does not disadvantage any particular countries.”
The meeting in Abu Dhabi marked the first direct trilateral talks between the warring sides since February. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Tuesday’s session as “constructive and quite substantive,” noting that discussions covered humanitarian issues, including the return of civilians and children, as well as security guarantees. David Arakhamia, a close ally of Zelensky and head of his parliamentary faction, said there was “good momentum” toward reaching a solution before the end of the year. However, he clarified that future talks should be multilateral rather than trilateral, with Europe represented.
Despite the prisoner agreement, officials cautioned that a broader peace deal remains distant. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the meeting “very productive” but warned that a breakthrough on stopping the war would take time. Kushner acknowledged that territorial issues remain the hardest to settle, though he claimed progress was made on a post-war security framework. The negotiations occurred against the backdrop of continued frontline fighting and significant economic and military strain on both sides, including devastating aerial attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and pressure on Russia’s wartime economy.
Relations with European partners remain a point of tension. Medinsky said Moscow had not received concrete peace proposals from European countries, questioning what there was to discuss. He suggested Europeans should learn from the American envoys regarding “common sense, realism and a desire to achieve peace.” Conversely, Ukrainian officials indicated that European representatives, including those from the EU and NATO, consulted with the Ukrainian delegation in Abu Dhabi. Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov, who led the Kyiv delegation, said his team was expected to meet with European officials on Wednesday.
The diplomatic pace is expected to intensify in the coming days. Kushner and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff are scheduled to travel to Moscow on Thursday to meet with President Vladimir Putin, followed by a trip to Dublin to meet with President Zelensky. These high-level consultations aim to relay the outcomes of the Abu Dhabi talks and explore further opportunities for de-escalation.
