Russian and Ukrainian officials wrapped up the second day of U.S.-brokered peace talks on Wednesday, announcing a new prisoner exchange but without making any other progress in efforts to end the fighting.
In a gesture of goodwill, the two sides agreed to another prisoner exchange, which has occurred periodically throughout the war. White House envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading the talks, said on February 5 that a total of 314 prisoners would be released.
“While there is still much work to be done, such steps show that continued diplomatic engagement is bringing concrete results and advancing efforts to stop the war in Ukraine.”
Before the meetings in Abu Dhabi, both Russian and Ukrainian officials said there were signs of optimism about ending the war, but after the second day there was no immediate reaction. Media in Kiev reported that the Ukrainian side had expressed support for constructive talks.
Despite reports of progress, Russia has continued to attack Ukraine with drones and missiles. At the start of the talks, Russia carried out one of the largest air strikes since the war began, targeting energy infrastructure and worsening the situation for civilians in the cold winter days.
