Fifth deal this year: UAE mediation facilitates another Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange in big move

The Emirati Foreign Ministry has announced the success of mediation efforts by the UAE regarding another Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange. It’s the fifth such deal this year, resulting in the release of 180 captives, according to a statement.

The Ministry emphasised that the success of the latest mediation is the outcome of the UAE leveraging its distinct partnerships. It expressed its appreciation to the governments of Russia and Ukraine for their cooperation to make the exchange process a success.

The UAE also affirmed its commitment to finding a peaceful solution to the years-long brutal conflict, stressing the need for dialogue, de-escalation, and diplomacy to resolve the fighting and mitigate the humanitarian repercussions resulting from the crisis.

UAE facilitates fifth Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange

The Russia-Ukraine crisis erupted on February 24, 2022, as a number of Russian troops marched into Ukrainian territory. The UAE’s mediation efforts have been succeeding since the beginning of 2024 in completing four Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchanges.

In the fourth deal announced on May 31, Russia and Ukraine noted a release of 150 prisoners. The Russian Defence Ministry noted that 75 Russian servicemen had been exchanged for 75 Ukrainian troops, highlighting the UAE mediation efforts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to X to announce the important outcome: “75 more of our people have returned to Ukraine … Throughout all of this time, we have not stopped working for a single day to bring everyone home from Russian captivity.”

Exchange deal “reflection of the strong friendly relations”

In January 2024, Russia and Ukraine successfully exchanged 400 prisoners in one of the biggest deals since the outbreak of the conflict, facilitated by UAE mediation efforts. 248 prisoners returned to Russia and 230 Ukrainian prisoners returned home.

In a statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry described the massive exchange deal as a “reflection of the strong friendly relations” between the UAE and both Russia and Ukraine. The Gulf state expressed its appreciation to the governments of both countries for their cooperation.

“More than 200 of our soldiers and civilians have been returned from Russian captivity,” Zelenskyy said on messaging app Telegram, posting a video of uniformed men celebrating. The Ukrainian president hailed the exchange deal as “good news”.