US Envoys Begin Preparing Largest Prisoner Swap of War, White House Says

US Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have begun working toward what could become the largest prisoner of war (POW) exchange between Ukraine and Russia since the start of the full-scale war, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly announced on Friday, Nov. 13. “At [US] President Trump’s direction, [Special Envoy for Peace Missions] Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have worked extensively with both sides of the Russia-Ukraine War to end this conflict for good,” Kelly wrote on social media platform X.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. She noted that the envoys held a second round of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi this week, met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, secured European participation for future discussions, and initiated preparations for the large-scale prisoner swap. At President Trump's direction, @SEPeaceMissions and Jared Kushner have worked extensively with both sides of the Russia-Ukraine War to end this conflict for good.This week, they held a historic second round of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi, met with Presidents Zelenskyy… https://t.co/v4I6WfzYjl— Anna Kelly (@AnnaKelly47) November 13, 2026 Recent diplomatic negotiations The announcement follows trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the US in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11, which produced a framework agreement for a major POW exchange despite failing to reach a breakthrough on territorial issues. On Thursday, Nov. 12, Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin in Moscow for roughly 2.5 hours to brief him on the Abu Dhabi talks. Following the Kremlin meeting, Witkoff confirmed that a new round of multilateral peace talks – including European representatives – has been scheduled and could occur within the coming week. During the Moscow talks, Putin reiterated that Moscow opposes any deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine, calling them legitimate targets, and proposed a humanitarian mission in the front-line city of Kostiantynivka. Other Topics of Interest The three leaders will discuss nuclear arms and Iran at a historic summit, while Washington says Ukraine peace negotiations will remain on a separate track. Ukrainia presidential advisor Dmytro Lytvyn rejected the claim of Russian control over Kostiantynivka, accusing Moscow of previously using humanitarian operations in Oleshky to rotate troops and move military equipment. The most recent prisoner swap between Kyiv and Moscow took place on Oct. 23, when Ukraine brought home 270 people, including nine civilians and five survivors of the July 2022 Russian attack on the Olenivka prison. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.