Dubai, 24 August 2024 (TDI): The UAE mediated between Russia and Ukraine for the release of 230 prisoners of war, the first such prisoner swap since Kyiv launched its offensive inside Russia this month.
It was the seventh such exchange that the UAE has mediated since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, bringing the total number of prisoners freed under the country’s mediation efforts since the war eupted to 1,788.
In a statement, the UAE foreign ministry said their mediation efforts, which comes a month after a previous successful mediation, reflect the solid relationship that it shares with both nations.
The ministry reiterated the UAE’s commitment to backing all initiatives and efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“Negotiations and de-escalation are the only ways to end the crisis, which will contribute to alleviating the humanitarian impact caused by it,” the ministry said.
Ukraine’s military on August 6 carried out a surprise attack into Russia’s Kursk region, the biggest attack inside Russian territory by a foreign power since World War II.
Kyiv has said it has carved out a buffer zone in an area that Moscow, which sent tens of thousands of forces into Ukraine in 2022, has used to pound targets in Ukraine.
