UAE Mediates Russia-Ukraine Prisoner Swap Before New Year

UAE Brokers Major Russia-Ukraine Prisoner Swap Before New Year

Russia and Ukraine exchanged more than 300 prisoners of war on Monday, in a United Arab Emirates-brokered exchange ahead of New Year’s Eve, officials from all three countries said.

The two sides have exchanged hundreds of captured soldiers since Russia launched its military offensive on Ukraine in February 2022, one of several areas of cooperation.

“On December 30, as a result of the negotiation process, 150 Russian servicemen were withdrawn from the control of the Kiev regime. In return, 150 Ukrainian military prisoners of war were handed over,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had received 189 people, including soldiers, border guards and two civilians, from the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol as part of the agreement.

Ukraine said on Monday that Moscow has released a total of 3,956 people – soldiers and civilians – in deals with Kyiv since the start of the conflict.

“We are working to release everyone from Russian captivity. This is our goal. We will not forget anyone,” Zelensky said.

The deal underscores how Gulf states are positioning themselves as mediators in the Ukraine war.

“The success of this new mediation, the tenth since the beginning of 2024, reflects the trust Russia and Ukraine have in the UAE,” the Emirati Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

According to the UAE’s Foreign Ministry, the Gulf state’s latest mediation brings the total number of captives to 2,484.

The UAE benefited from its neutral position in the early days of the conflict, with Ukrainians and Russians flocking to Dubai, fueling its real estate market.

However, Bloomberg reported that Russian interest in the Emirates has waned in 2024 as prices have fallen and Emirati companies have been hit by tightening US sanctions.

Ukraine builds bridges in Syria
Luxury goods and dual-use military technology from the West are now being re-exported to Russia via the UAE.

The US has put heavy pressure on the UAE to reduce its involvement in Russian business. In 2023, the US sanctioned Dubai-based Russian oil trader Volito.

President-elect Donald Trump, upon his return to the White House in January, has vowed to end the war in Ukraine. Gulf states, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, can present themselves as mediators.

Ending the conflict, however, may jeopardize a number of the profitable transactions from which those states have benefited, such as re-exporting Russian petroleum goods and trading sanctioned Russian oil.

The UAE is supporting Russia in the fight against Libya, and in several hotspots across the region.

The Middle East Eye story claims that the UAE negotiated the lifting of sanctions on Russia’s partner in Syria before rebels overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December.

Ukraine provided drone operators to aid Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in its successful offensive against Assad, according to the Washington Post.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with Syria’s new de facto ruler, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus on Monday, where he raised the Ukrainian flag at his country’s embassy.