Ukraine Prisoner Exchange: Largest Swap Planned After Dublin

The Ukraine prisoner exchange announced in Dublin overnight is set to be the largest swap of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

Zelenskyy spoke at a joint press conference with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The meeting took place in Ireland late on Thursday night, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

The envoys had flown to Dublin straight from Moscow. Hours earlier, they had met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.

Zelenskyy said the American team had also agreed that the exchange would go ahead. He called it a real result, above all for the families waiting at home.

What the Ukraine prisoner exchange involves

Kushner said the exchange had been finalised during the talks in Abu Dhabi and Moscow. He said returning thousands of people to their families would be a very important milestone, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

Witkoff described the plan as the largest hostage release of the war. He said the envoys had travelled to Dublin on the direct instruction of US President Donald Trump.

In a post on X, Kushner wrote that Washington was working toward what would be the largest prisoner exchange of the war. He said it could reunite thousands of people with their families, Reuters reported.

No date or location for the swap has been announced yet. Zelenskyy also did not give a final number for this exchange.

He had previously said that formats of 1,000 for 1,000 and 1,500 for 1,500 had been discussed during the negotiations, Ukrainska Pravda reported. Whether the Ukraine prisoner exchange follows either of those formats is not yet known.

For families on both sides, the wait has already lasted years. Prisoner swaps remain one of the few areas where Kyiv and Moscow have repeatedly managed to reach agreement.

How the Ukraine prisoner exchange was agreed

The deal came at the end of a fast moving diplomatic week. It began with trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November.

Those talks were the first direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine mediated by the United States in nine months. The two sides agreed a major Ukraine prisoner exchange there, but they announced no ceasefire.

Zelenskyy said the Abu Dhabi round had unblocked the trilateral meeting format. He said each meeting must deliver results and bring the sides closer to peace, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

On Thursday, Witkoff and Kushner met Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow. It was the tenth meeting between Witkoff and the Russian president since the diplomatic push began.

Putin kept a hard line on his security demands during the Moscow meeting. He rejected any European troop presence in Ukraine after a deal, and said such troops would be legitimate targets.

The envoys then flew on to Ireland to brief Zelenskyy in person. They met him at Baldonnel, near Dublin, late on Thursday night, and the three men spoke to reporters together afterwards.

Kushner said the discussions with Putin and his team had been detailed, and that people on both sides wanted the war to end.

What the Ukraine prisoner exchange means for Europe's role

Zelenskyy announced a second outcome from the Dublin talks. European representatives will join the next round of negotiations as full members of the negotiating team.

He said Europe would be present directly, not in some indirect way or separately, and that it would have a voice. The war is taking place in Europe, he said, and Europe matters for prosperity and security guarantees.

Witkoff said Putin had agreed to let European representatives join the next round of talks, Reuters reported. Kushner said a deal could not be concluded without the Europeans at the table.

However, Le Monde noted that Moscow has not confirmed any European role in the next round. For now, the claim rests on what Zelenskyy and the US envoys have said publicly.

A third outcome is also taking shape. Further multilateral meetings are being prepared, and Witkoff said another meeting was already on the schedule.

The envoys said work with Kyiv is continuing on postwar security guarantees and on plans for Ukraine's postwar economy and society.

Big differences remain untouched by the Ukraine prisoner exchange deal. Reuters reported that Russia holds about a fifth of Ukraine, and that Kyiv refuses to give up the rest of its eastern Donbas region.

Kushner said a lasting end to the fighting would require credible security guarantees. He said reciprocal de-escalation commitments would also be needed to reduce the risk of a future conflict.

For now, the swap is the clearest concrete result of the week. If it goes ahead as described, the Ukraine prisoner exchange will bring thousands of soldiers home to their families on both sides.

Ukraine prisoner exchange: common questions

What is the Ukraine prisoner exchange announced in Dublin?

It is a planned exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia, agreed during talks in Abu Dhabi and Moscow and announced by Zelenskyy in Dublin. He and the US envoys described it as the largest Ukraine prisoner exchange of the war.

How many prisoners will be released in the swap?

No final number has been announced. Kushner said the exchange involves thousands of people, while Zelenskyy had earlier spoken of 1,000 for 1,000 or 1,500 for 1,500 formats being discussed, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

When will the Ukraine prisoner exchange take place?

No date or location has been announced yet. The envoys said preparations had been finalised and that another negotiating meeting was already on the schedule.

Did the talks produce a ceasefire?

No. The Abu Dhabi talks agreed the prisoner exchange but no ceasefire, and the Moscow meeting also ended without a breakthrough on ending the fighting. Territory and security guarantees remain the main unresolved issues, Reuters reported.

Will Europe join the next round of negotiations?

Zelenskyy and the US envoys say European representatives will join as full members with a direct voice, and Witkoff said Putin had agreed to this. Le Monde noted that Moscow has not confirmed any European role.

Why does the Ukraine prisoner exchange matter?

Prisoner exchanges are one of the few areas where Kyiv and Moscow have repeatedly reached agreement. Zelenskyy said the Dublin outcome also unblocked the trilateral talks format, which gives both sides hope that further meetings can follow.