The United States and Russia have agreed to resume high-level military dialogue suspended since 2021, while negotiations in Abu Dhabi resulted in a prisoner exchange agreement involving 314 individuals from each side.
Resumption of US-Russia Dialogue
On Thursday, February 5, Reuters reported that the United States and Russia agreed to resume high-level military dialogue. “This communication channel was suspended in autumn 2021, just before the start of the conflict,” the US European Command stated in a release, referring to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The decision was made following talks in Abu Dhabi.
“The meeting was attended by the Chief of the US Armed Forces Command in Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, as well as high-ranking Russian and Ukrainian officials,” the statement read.
Conclusion of Ukraine Negotiations
A second round of peace negotiations has concluded in the United Arab Emirates. The delegations from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States agreed to another prisoner exchange between the warring parties. A total of 314 prisoners are set to return to each side.
There are currently no details regarding the status of negotiations to end the war. White House envoy Steve Witkoff wrote on social media that the warring parties had agreed to the prisoner exchange. “Serious work still lies ahead, but the agreement reached shows that diplomacy brings tangible results,” emphasized the US representative.
Territorial Demands Unchanged
Shortly before the end of the meeting, Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev reported progress in the talks. Later, Ukrainian and Russian journalists reported that Moscow has not changed its territorial demands regarding Ukraine and raised the issue of international recognition of Donbas, Crimea, and parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions as Russian.
