President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced that following the negotiations between Ukraine, the US and Russia, the parties are preparing an exchange of prisoners of war, which could become the largest since the war began. He said this on the evening of November 12 in Dublin after meeting with U.S. presidential representatives Stephen Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
According to Zelensky, the agreement on the exchange became one of the main practical results of recent diplomatic contacts, in particular the talks in Abu Dhabi and the subsequent meeting of American representatives with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
"There will be release of prisoners, and we expect the largest exchange since this war", - the Ukrainian president said.
Zelensky noted that Witkoff and Kushner informed him about the scale of the upcoming exchange. He thanked the negotiating teams and emphasized that the return of Ukrainian soldiers home will be a real result of diplomatic efforts.
Kushner confirmed that during the negotiations with Putin, the American delegation managed to finalize the issue of prisoner exchange. At the same time, the exact number of people who are to return home and the date of exchange have not yet been announced.
Another important result, according to Zelensky, is the agreement on the direct participation of European representatives in the next round of negotiations. He said Europe should be fully represented at the negotiating table, not only in separate consultations.
Kushner said the American side discussed this issue with Putin and he expressed readiness to try a new format. The U.S. representative stressed that completing the negotiation process without participation of European partners is impossible. At the same time, the Kremlin has not separately confirmed final agreement to the participation of a European delegation.
The third result was preparation of the next multilateral meeting. Witkoff said a new round of negotiations is already planned, but did not give its exact date and venue.
Kushner also noted that the United States continues to work with Ukraine on a post-war economic recovery plan and security guarantees. According to him, these issues were discussed in detail with the Ukrainian side, but he did not reveal specific parameters of future agreements.
Earlier, it was reported about Zelensky's meeting with Witkoff and Kushner after their visit to Moscow. The American representatives arrived in Ireland to inform the Ukrainian president about the results of negotiations with Putin and to discuss further steps to end the war.
Source: Official website of the President of Ukraine, video recording of statements by Zelensky, Witkoff and Kushner.
