05/02/2026 – 12:37 GMT+1
Meanwhile, the Kremlin-affiliated media outlets revealed that Moscow’s key demand is not only full Russian control over Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, but also official recognition of Donbas as Russian territory by all sides, including Ukraine.
Ukrainian, Russian and US delegations entered a second day of negotiations in Abu Dhabi on Thursday after agreeing to exchange 314 prisoners of war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Wednesday that during the first day of talks in the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine and Russia finalised a prisoner-of-war (POW) exchange, calling it a “significant” result.
“There will also be a significant step: we expect an exchange of prisoners of war in the near future. The prisoners must be returned home,” Zelenskyy said after being briefed on the discussion.
Previous Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul in spring and summer 2025 also resulted in a handfull of POW exchange rounds.
The last exchange with Moscow was held on 2 October. However, since then Kyiv said that Russia halted the process, with Ukraine’s president stating Moscow did because it “does not feel that it gives them anything.”
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff also confirmed on Thursday the upcoming swap of “314 prisoners” between Kyiv and Moscow.
“This outcome was achieved from peace talks that have been detailed and productive,” Witkoff said.
“While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.”
“Discussions will continue, with additional progress anticipated in the coming weeks.”
The Kremlin’s key negotiator Kirill Dmitriev told Russian outlets that “there has been progress and positive movement forward in the negotiation process on a peace agreement with Ukraine”, and once again blamed the European counties for what he claimed is ‘obstructing” the process.
Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council Rustem Umerov said the negotiations continue “in the same formats” as on Wednesday and include “trilateral consultations, working groups, and further coordination of positions”
Russia’s demands in Abu Dhabi
The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said following the meetings that the “door to a peaceful settlement remains open,” but Russia will continue the war until Ukraine adopts the “relevant decisions” — without specifying what those might entail.
Despite ongoing talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not publicly indicated that he has shifted his position from Moscow’s existing maximalist demands.
On Thursday, Kremlin-affiliated media outlets also revealed more details about Moscow’s territorial demands.
Russia reportedly not only wants to have full control of Ukraine’s regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, but it also now wants all sides to recognise it as Russian territory.
Moscow previously said it wanted Ukraine to withdraw also from southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, including the territories Russia never occupied or controlled.
It is unclear at this time whether Moscow has scaled back its demands and now insists only on the two eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Zelenskyy: Ukrainians ‘perfectly aware of the price’
Meanwhile in an interview with France TV, Zelenskyy said Russia would continue to sustain staggering losses if it attempted to conquer all of eastern Ukraine by force of arms.
“We, the Ukrainians, are perfectly aware of the price that every metre and every kilometre of this land costs the Russian army,” Zelensky said in the interview.
“They don’t count the people who die. We are forced to. To conquer eastern Ukraine, it would cost them 800,000 more corpses, the corpses of their soldiers. It will take them at least two years, with very slow progress. In my opinion, they won’t last that long.”
The US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank (ISW) estimates that after more than ten years of constant assaults, Russia will not be able to occupy the remaining areas of Donetsk region for another year and a half.
“Assuming that Russian forces can maintain this faster rate of advance consistently, Ukrainian defences remain strong, and Western support for Ukraine remains consistent, Russian forces could seize the remaining 22% of the Ukrainian-held Donetsk region by August 2027,” the ISW said.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) stated that Russia’s intensified pace and effort in Eastern Ukraine cost Moscow troops “extraordinary” human losses.
According to the CSIS, Moscow’s forces have suffered nearly 1.2 million casualties since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This number is roughly equal to the population of Brussels.
