Abu dhabi: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine anticipates a prisoner swap with Moscow to occur 'in the near future' amid ongoing negotiations involving Kyiv, Moscow, and the United States in Abu Dhabi. These discussions are focused on reaching a resolution for the conflict that has persisted for nearly four years.

According to Anadolu Agency, Zelenskyy shared this update during a video address on Wednesday evening. He mentioned that he received a briefing from Kyiv's negotiating team regarding the trilateral discussions held in the UAE. The talks also included consultations between Ukraine and the US.

Zelenskyy stated, "We discussed the interim results of the negotiations for today. They will continue tomorrow (Thursday). There will also be a significant step: we expect a POW (prisoners of war) exchange in the near future. Captives must be brought home," although he did not provide further specifics.

The last prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine took place on October 2, 2025, following agreements reached during peace talks in Istanbul earlier that year. The current talks in Abu Dhabi mark the second round of trilateral discussions, which commenced on Wednesday and are set to continue into Thursday.

The initial round of consultations between Ukraine, Russia, and the US occurred on January 23-24, also in Abu Dhabi. Kyiv and Washington described these talks as 'constructive,' while Moscow acknowledged the beginning of contacts in a constructive manner, emphasizing that there is "significant work ahead."