UAE behind successful prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia

The United Arab Emirates was the primary mediator in a recent deal between Russia and Ukraine that saw 180 prisoners exchanged between the two sides, the Gulf nation’s state news agency WAM said Tuesday.  

Both Russia and Ukraine received 90 prisoners each, according to a Russian Defense Ministry statement released prior to the Emirati announcement.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also publicly confirmed the swap.  

Emiratis have mediated on several occasions

With close economic and diplomatic ties to both Moscow and Kyiv’s Western allies, the UAE has maintained a relatively strict policy of neutrality in the conflict since Russia’s 2022 invasion. In Tuesday’s statement, the country credited "its distinct ties and partnership with both sides” as the key factor in its ability to mediate the deal.  

The UAE has facilitated at least five similar prisoner swaps between Russia and Ukraine, the last being in late May of this year.  

The oil-rich emirate’s neutral position in the Russia-Ukraine war has at times frustrated its Western allies and partners, namely the United States, a key economic and military partner in the region who would prefer Abu Dhabi participate in the sanction regime targeting Russia.  

The UAE also hosts 5,000 American troops deployed at the jointly operated Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi.  

Conversely, in December of last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the UAE was Moscow’s "main trading partner in the Arab world."