KYIV/DUBAI/VIENNA - Ukraine has discussed with the United States the possibility of postponing the next trilateral meeting with Russia and changing its location due to the situation in the Middle East, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday.

The next Ukraine-US-Russia trilateral meeting was scheduled for March 5 to 9, according to a post by Zelensky on the social media platform X.

Zelensky expressed hope that a prisoner-of-war exchange agreed at previous meetings would be confirmed in the coming days.

The next trilateral meeting had been planned for early March in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, Ukrinform reported. 

Prisoner swap

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Thursday that mediation efforts conducted jointly with the United States had led to an exchange of 400 captives between Russia and Ukraine, with 200 prisoners released by each side.

The ministry said the latest swap brought the total number of captives exchanged through mediation by the UAE to 5,355, adding that both sides had cooperated with the initiative.

The Gulf state had facilitated 19 mediation efforts between Moscow and Kyiv since the start of the conflict, it added.

The ministry said the UAE would continue to support efforts to reach a comprehensive political settlement, citing its ties with both countries and its role in hosting dialogue, including two rounds of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.

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Nuclear plant 

The Ferosplavna-1 330 kV power line has been restored and reconnected to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) following repair work carried out under a local ceasefire, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Thursday.

Brokered by the IAEA, the ceasefire allowed the plant to regain access to two off-site power lines, the agency said on social media platform X.

The Ferosplavna-1 line was disconnected 23 days ago as a result of a military attack, leaving the ZNPP dependent on its sole functioning 750 kV main power line.

"The additional off-site power line strengthens nuclear safety and security," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, one of Europe's largest nuclear facilities, has been under Russian control since March 2022.