Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed an agreement for a "biggest exchange of war prisoners" with Russia as a "real result," following intense talks brokered by US envoys.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held "very intense" discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his team in Abu Dhabi, and subsequently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ireland, in an effort to renew peace efforts and end the war. These talks resulted in the finalization of a major prisoner-of-war exchange, which Zelensky described as a "real result" that will bring "thousands of people to their families." Despite this tangible outcome, the broader discussions, which marked the first direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives in nine months, did not produce a major breakthrough for a comprehensive settlement. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham cautioned against "reading too much" into the peace talks and urged continued focus on securing a ceasefire. Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin emphasized that no progress can be made towards a peace agreement without Europe at the table, a sentiment echoed by Zelensky, who welcomed progress to include European representatives in future negotiations.