UAE mediation facilitates another Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange, highlights nation as a trusted global partner

The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday the continuation of successful mediation efforts regarding the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. The deal marks the third since the beginning of this year.

The Ministry stressed that the achievement is a reflection of the continuity, moderation and wisdom of the UAE’s relationships with countries. These relations are leveraged to find common ground to resolve challenges and disputes, reported the Emirates News Agency.

The completion of the latest UAE mediation has resulted in the release of 100 Russian and 100 Ukrainian captives. The Emirates expressed its appreciation to the governments of the two nations for their cooperation in making the exchange process a success.

Not the first UAE mediation helping exchange captives

The Ministry affirmed the UAE’s commitment to continuing efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the almost two-year-long conflict, stressing the importance of diplomacy, dialogue and de-escalation, and supporting humanitarian initiatives.

The key exchange process follows UAE mediation efforts in early January and on January 31, besides another deal reached in December 2022, that resulted in the release and exchange of a couple of prisoners between the US and Russia.

The agreement reached late last month facilitated the exchange of about 400 prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. At the time, the Ministry had highlighted that the deal reflected the global status of the UAE as a trusted partner on the international stage.

Highly controversial Tucker Carlson Putin interview

Earlier in January, UAE mediation helped 248 individuals return to Russia and 230, to Ukraine. The exchange represented one of the most complex deals of the long conflict – sadly approaching its second anniversary on February 24, 2024.

The latest prisoner exchange has come against a backdrop of deepening conversations over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s exclusive interview with conservative US media personality Tucker Carlson. The interview has aired on Carlson’s website and X.

The high-profile conversation represents the first time Putin has agreed to an interview with a Western media outlet since Russian troops marched into the neighbouring nation a couple of years back and comes as fighting in the country has reached a stalemate.

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