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Ukraine and Russia swapped implicit 300 prisoners pursuing "productive" talks successful Abu Dhabi connected Thursday (February 5, 2026), arsenic a U.S. mediator conceded that "significant" enactment laic up successful the quest for a broader woody to extremity the war.
The negotiations are the latest bid successful diplomatic efforts to halt the warring -- Europe's deadliest struggle since World War II, with hundreds of thousands killed, millions forced to fly their homes and overmuch of eastbound and confederate Ukraine near decimated.
As talks were underway, ample swathes of the Ukrainian superior were inactive without heating successful sub-zero temperatures, aft successive Russian strikes knocked retired vigor supplies to hundreds of flat blocks successful Kyiv.
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"Today, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia agreed to speech 314 prisoners -- the archetypal specified speech successful 5 months," U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said connected societal media during the 2nd time of talks successful Abu Dhabi.
Russia's Defence Ministry aboriginal confirmed the 2 sides changed 157 prisoners each.
While Mr. Witkoff described the negotiations arsenic "detailed and productive," helium dimmed hopes for a breakthrough, saying "significant enactment remains."
On Wednesday (February 4), Kyiv had described the archetypal time of negotiations arsenic "substantive and productive".
Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev besides said talks were going well. "There is decidedly progress, things are moving guardant successful a good, affirmative direction," helium said.
But determination was nary update from immoderate broadside connected the contentious contented of territory, oregon immoderate motion of concession from Moscow, which entered the talks refusing to compromise connected its cardinal demands.
The Russian Envoy besides slammed what helium called attempts from European nations to "disrupt the progress," without elaborating.
In a uncommon authoritative admittance of battlefield losses, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday (February 4) that astatine slightest 55,000 of his country's troops had been killed since Russia invaded successful February 2022 — a fig little than galore autarkic estimates.
Russia has not disclosed however galore of its soldiers person been killed. Tracking of obituaries and household announcements by the BBC and autarkic Mediazona outlet has recovered the names of much than 160,000 Russian soldiers killed successful the conflict.
'Concrete steps'
Ahead of the two-day talks, Russia launched its latest monolithic onslaught connected Ukraine's powerfulness infrastructure, leaving galore radical without powerfulness and shivering done temperatures arsenic debased arsenic -20C.
Ukraine's main negotiator Rustem Umerov said Wednesday (February 4) that "concrete steps and applicable solutions" had been discussed successful the archetypal time of the talks.
But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters warring would persist "until the Kyiv authorities makes the due decisions".
The main sticking constituent successful the negotiations is the semipermanent destiny of territory successful eastbound Ukraine.
Moscow is demanding that Kyiv propulsion its troops retired of swathes of the Donbas, including heavy fortified cities atop immense earthy resources, earlier immoderate deal.
It besides wants planetary designation that onshore seized successful the penetration belongs to Russia.
'Maintain pressure'
Kyiv has said the struggle should beryllium frozen on the existent beforehand enactment and has rejected a pull-back of forces.
The talks successful Abu Dhabi are the 2nd circular of trilateral negotiations betwixt the U.S., Russia and Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump has been pushing some sides to negociate an extremity to the warfare since helium returned to office, boasting helium could onslaught a woody successful hours.
Mr. Zelenskyy said the U.S. President's relation was crucial, telling French tv successful an interrogation broadcast connected Wednesday (February 5, 2026) that "Putin is lone frightened of Trump".
Mr. Trump could usage economical sanctions against Russia oregon transportation weapons to Ukraine to "maintain this unit connected Putin", Mr. Zelenskyy said, adding that Kyiv would not compromise connected sovereignty.
Russia occupies astir 20% of Ukraine. It claims the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions arsenic its own, and holds pockets of territory successful astatine slightest 3 different Ukrainian regions successful the east.
Kyiv inactive controls astir one-fifth of the Donetsk portion that Moscow demands it withdraws from. Ukraine has warned that ceding crushed volition embolden Moscow, and that it volition not motion a woody that fails to deter Russia from invading again.
