Ukraine-Russia talks fail on territory but deliver rare prisoner exchange

The talks produced little to no progress on the most difficult issue — territory — prompting negotiators to focus on practical steps they could deliver. That shift resulted in the first prisoner exchange in months, one of the few areas where Kyiv and Moscow have consistently been able to reach agreement during the war, the newspaper reported.

Ukrainian officials said most of the discussions centered on how a potential ceasefire could be implemented, including mechanisms for monitoring violations — a task the paper noted would likely prove difficult in practice.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly described territory as “the key issue that still needs to be resolved.” Ukraine has indicated that the least problematic option would be to hold positions along the current line of contact, the Journal reported, while Russia is demanding that Ukrainian forces withdraw from parts of Donetsk Oblast.

Kyiv has said it has neither the moral nor legal right to cede the Donbas to Moscow and argues that any withdrawal to establish a demilitarized zone would require reciprocal steps by Russia.

The second round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States concluded in Abu Dhabi on on Jan. 5.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said the three delegations had agreed on a prisoner exchange — the first in five months — and that discussions on further swaps would continue, with additional progress expected in the coming weeks.

Zelenskyy later said another exchange had taken place, bringing 157 Ukrainians home. “Today’s exchange followed a long pause, and it is very important that it was carried out,” he said.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Office of the President and a member of the Ukrainian delegation in Abu Dhabi, described the negotiations as constructive.