Russia and Ukraine held a second straight day of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, and Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said the sides had agreed on a large-scale prisoner swap. The Abu Dhabi Russia Ukraine talks are the first meeting between the delegations in nine months, according to The Hindu.
Medinsky, in remarks broadcast on Russian state television, said Russia and Ukraine had agreed on a large-scale prisoner swap, according to the Guardian. In the same remarks, he said mutual understanding had been reached on some issues and that more talks would be held. The Guardian’s report does not give the date of Medinsky’s remarks. Ukraine has not confirmed the prisoner swap in the sources reviewed, so the claim rests on Medinsky’s account alone.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday’s session was "constructive and quite substantive," according to The Hindu. He said the session largely covered humanitarian issues, including prisoner exchanges and the return of civilians and children.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the meeting "very productive," according to The Hindu. He cautioned that a breakthrough on stopping the war will take time.
Medinsky was cool on European countries taking part in the talks. According to the Guardian, he said it was unclear what Russia and the European Union had to discuss, given a lack of European proposals.
The talks were mediated by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Rustem Umerov led Ukraine’s delegation, and Medinsky led Russia’s. The United Arab Emirates was chosen as a neutral venue, according to the sources.
The talks come as fighting continues on the front line, where little territory has changed hands this year. Both sides are striking each other with long-range missiles and drones, the sources say. The Hindu reports that hopes for a breakthrough were low before the talks began.
France 24 published only a headline and a short excerpt, which adds little beyond a start-of-day comment from Umerov. The account of the prisoner swap relies on the Guardian and Medinsky’s remarks, and the sources do not give its size, the issues where understanding was reached, or the security guarantees discussed.
What happens next is not fully settled. The Hindu reports the talks were due to conclude on Wednesday, with three-way talks to follow and Kyiv then meeting European officials. Medinsky said more talks would be held, but no date has been given.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.