Abu Dhabi Talks Yield Prisoner Exchange, No Breakthrough

U.S.-mediated talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi ended without a major breakthrough, though the sides agreed to a large prisoner exchange. U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff then met Vladimir Putin and were expected to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin. Washington asked Moscow to draft a European security proposal addressing its demands and outlining steps to de-escalate tensions; Russia has long sought limits on NATO expansion and its military presence in eastern Europe. European leaders and Zelenskyy said Europe must help shape any settlement and emphasized the need for a shared position and a just, lasting peace. Russia’s territorial demands, rejected by Ukraine, and unresolved postwar security arrangements remained central obstacles.