Prisoner Exchange Between Russia and Ukraine; Zelensky Thanks UAE

In a recent round of prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia on Monday, January 1, Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, announced the return of 189 Ukrainian prisoners to the country. Zelensky expressed gratitude to the United Arab Emirates and other partners for facilitating this exchange. In a message on the social media platform Telegram, he described the release of Ukrainian citizens from Russian captivity and their return to the country as 'very good news,' stating that '189 Ukrainians,' including two civilians, have been brought home. According to the Ukrainian President, Russian forces had captured these two civilians two years ago in the port city of Mariupol, located in southern Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense had earlier reported the release of 150 prisoners of war from each side involved in the conflict. No explanation was provided regarding the discrepancy in the numbers of released prisoners reported by Russia and Ukraine. On September 24, the two warring countries also exchanged 115 prisoners of war each, mediated by the United Arab Emirates. Since the onset of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, the UAE has played a key role in facilitating prisoner exchanges between the two countries, managing to secure the release of hundreds of prisoners from both sides. The UAE is considered a security partner of the United States in the region but has maintained warm relations with Moscow and also has a good relationship with Kyiv. Zelensky discussed the 'victory plan' with Ukraine's allies.