Chinese President Xi Jinping, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other participants in the outreach/BRICS Plus format meeting pose for a family photo during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia October 24, 2024. ALEXANDER NEMENOV/Pool via REUTERS
Key Facts
• February 5, 2026: US, Ukraine, and Russia held second day of peace talks in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
• Post-talks, Ukraine and Russia exchanged 157 prisoners each, including 7 Ukrainian civilians.
• Prisoner exchange occurred after a 4-month hiatus; previous exchange was in October 2025.
• 139 Ukrainian prisoners returned were detained since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
• Russia also returned 3 civilians from Kursk region, claiming they were unjustly detained.
• Main negotiation topics: Ukraine’s territorial concessions and security guarantees against future Russian attacks.
• No significant progress reported; Ukrainian President Zelenskyy seeks faster results.
• US special envoy Steve Witkow and Jared Kushner lead negotiations under former President Trump’s initiative.
• Territorial dispute centers on eastern Donbas industrial region controlled by Ukraine but demanded by Russia.
• Ukraine demands strong security guarantees from Europe and the US.
• Talks began as Russia resumed attacks after a one-week pause due to extreme cold.
• Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure, causing widespread outages amid harsh winter.
Summary
On February 5, 2026, the United States, Ukraine, and Russia conducted a second day of tripartite peace talks in Abu Dhabi, resulting in a prisoner exchange after four months. Both sides returned 157 prisoners, including Ukrainian civilians and Russian soldiers. The talks focused on Ukraine’s pressured territorial concessions and security guarantees to prevent renewed Russian aggression. Despite detailed discussions led by US envoy Steve Witkow and Jared Kushner, no breakthrough was achieved. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the difficulty of negotiations and his desire for quicker outcomes. The territorial dispute mainly involves the eastern Donbas region, with Ukraine maintaining control but facing Russian demands for withdrawal. Ukraine also seeks robust security assurances from Western allies. The talks coincided with Russia resuming attacks following a brief pause due to severe cold, targeting energy facilities and causing critical infrastructure outages. The situation remains tense with unresolved core issues.
