Russian president commends UAE for efforts in facilitating prisoner swaps, peace talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his gratitude to the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for Abu Dhabi’s active mediation in facilitating prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine.

In a recent conversation between the two leaders, Putin thanked the UAE for its critical role in addressing the humanitarian aspect of the ongoing conflict, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

"The Russian side expressed gratitude for the UAE’s active mediatory assistance in the implementation of prisoner swaps between Russia and Ukraine," the Kremlin statement said.

Since the onset of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, the UAE has played a key role in supporting both sides with humanitarian efforts, including the organization of multiple prisoner exchanges. According to the UAE Foreign Ministry, since the beginning of 2024, Abu Dhabi has facilitated 13 exchanges, involving over 3,200 prisoners of war. The most recent significant exchange occurred on March 19, with Moscow and Kyiv exchanging 175 prisoners each. As a gesture of goodwill, Russia also transferred 22 severely wounded prisoners of war to Ukraine, in need of urgent medical care.

In addition to the prisoner exchanges, the two leaders also discussed the broader geopolitical context, particularly the ongoing dialogue between Moscow and Washington aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict. "The leaders discussed the current Russia-US dialogue aimed at finding ways to peacefully resolve the Ukraine conflict and normalize bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington," the Kremlin stated after the phone call.

"Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed support for the efforts of Russia and the US, particularly welcoming the consultations between the two countries’ experts that are taking place in Riyadh today," the Kremlin press service added.

The diplomatic dialogue between Russia and the United States, initiated by President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, focuses on resolving the conflict in Ukraine and improving bilateral relations. As part of these efforts, consultations are currently being held in Riyadh, with one of the key topics being the resumption of the Black Sea Initiative.

The Black Sea Initiative, also known as the grain deal, was designed to create a safe corridor for the export of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports while easing the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers. However, the deal faced numerous issues, with the majority of Ukrainian grain being redirected to European countries, contradicting the agreement’s original aim of providing grain to countries in need. Additionally, Russia's commitments were not fully met, leading to Moscow’s withdrawal from the deal in July 2023.

By Vafa Guliyeva