Russia and Ukraine agreed a large exchange of prisoners of war, envoys said Wednesday as two days of U.S. mediated talks concluded, but they announced no major breakthrough on ending the conflict that began after Moscow’s full-scale invasion nearly five years ago.
\n\nHopes had been low for any significant development in the first meeting in nine months between the delegations. Russia and Ukraine have from time to time swapped POWs but have remained far apart in their demands for accepting a peace settlement.
\n\nU.S. officials say they are determined to revive Washington’s peace efforts that so far have failed to deliver significant results.
\n\nAs well as postwar security guarantees for both countries, other key hurdles for negotiators are the fate of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory and what role European countries will play in an eventual settlement.
\n\nThe session was the first such meeting since February on Russia’s invasion, which analysts and humanitarian organizations say has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and thousands of civilians.
\n\n“One of the positives is we agreed that we’re going to have the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners, which we’re going to finalize the numbers tomorrow,” said Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, after the…
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