Russia and Ukraine agreed Wednesday to a major exchange of prisoners of war during U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi. Officials described the planned swap as the largest humanitarian release of the nearly five-year conflict.

U.S. envoy Jared Kushner called the deal one of the positives from the two days of negotiations. "One of the positives is we agreed that we’re going to have the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners, which we’re going to finalize the numbers tomorrow," he said after the sessions concluded.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that the sides discussed a possible 1,000-for-1,000 exchange, or even up to 1,500 prisoners each. Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky and Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov confirmed the preliminary agreement in principle.

The talks marked the first trilateral meeting in nine months. They focused primarily on humanitarian issues, including the return of Ukrainian civilians and children held in Russia. No major progress emerged on territorial disputes or ceasefire terms.

This swap would surpass the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange from May 2025 and follow the most recent deal of 270 prisoners each on October 23. Prisoner exchanges have remained one consistent area of cooperation despite broader stalemates.

Kushner and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff plan to travel to Moscow on Thursday to brief Russian President Vladimir Putin, then proceed to Dublin for meetings with Zelenskiy. The exchange could occur within the next two to three weeks, according to Russian officials.

The agreement highlights ongoing U.S. efforts to advance humanitarian outcomes even as core political differences persist between the two sides.