Russia and Ukraine exchanged 185 prisoners of war on Friday, both sides said, in one of the few areas of cooperation between the warring sides, thanks to UAE mediation efforts. This brings the total number of prisoners exchanged between the two countries through UAE-mediated efforts to 7,471.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa) expressed its appreciation for the cooperation of both friendly countries in ensuring the success of the UAE’s mediation efforts, recognising the UAE as a trusted international mediator and valuing its commitment to supporting all initiatives aimed at resolving the crisis between the two nations.
The ministry stated that, with the success of this latest mediation, the total number of UAE-led mediations conducted during the conflict has reached 24. Mofa further reaffirmed that the UAE will continue its efforts to support various initiatives aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine and mitigating the humanitarian consequences of the crisis, including those affecting refugees and prisoners.
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The exchange comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to agree to sit-down talks to end the four-year conflict.
“On June 5, 185 Russian service members were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime. In exchange, 185 Ukrainian prisoners of war were handed over,” Russia’s defence ministry said.
Zelensky said some of the Ukrainian soldiers freed had been held by Russia since 2022.
“The return of our people is a constant priority for Ukraine. Every day, we are working to free every Ukrainian man and woman from captivity,” he said in a post on social media.
Ukrainian officials posted photos of shaven-headed soldiers draped in Ukrainian flags embracing each other.
Source: Khaleej Times