{"text":[[{"start":10.72,"text":"Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large prisoner exchange at the first US-brokered peace talks since February, which ended in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday without any major breakthrough, according to officials."}],[{"start":22.58,"text":"“The Russians came with very, very strict instructions, and it was hard to soften the discussion,” David Arakhamia, one of Ukraine’s negotiators, told reporters after the talks."}],[{"start":32.96,"text":"“But the way the US representatives structured it through the postwar picture for both countries, in my opinion, opened up the dialogue, and we began to work more productively.”"}],[{"start":42.28,"text":"He added that there was “good momentum to find a solution before the new year”."}],[{"start":46.28,"text":"Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, said the two days of talks had made progress on postwar security guarantees for Ukraine, but added no agreement could be reached until the two sides settled their territorial dispute."}],[{"start":59.68,"text":"On the upcoming prisoner swap, the goal was to exceed 1,000 on each side, Alexander Zorin, first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency, told state television."}],[{"start":70.76,"text":"“Last year, the largest-scale exchange involved 1,000 people. That’s the benchmark we’ll be working from,” he was quoted as saying."}],[{"start":78,"text":"A senior Ukrainian official confirmed a preliminary agreement between the warring sides to swap prisoners of war but said the exact number and timeline were yet to be determined."}],[{"start":88.38,"text":"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that Kyiv and Moscow could exchange up to 1,500 prisoners each."}],[{"start":95.16,"text":"Despite US optimism about a potential peace deal, Russia showed no indication in Abu Dhabi that it was willing to compromise on any of President Vladimir Putin’s demands for ending the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its fifth year."}],[{"start":109.36,"text":"Vladimir Medinsky, Moscow’s lead negotiator, said that “every square foot of land will be returned to Russia one way or another”."}],[{"start":116.4,"text":"Putin’s demands include that Ukraine withdraw from the remainder of the frontline Donbas region under its control, as well as two other regions partially occupied by Russia."}],[{"start":124.62,"text":"The Russian president’s insistence on conquering more Ukrainian land even as his army’s advance on the battlefield has sputtered remains one of the sticking points."}],[{"start":134.4,"text":"Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, told state television that Putin remained intent on accomplishing the goals he set out for his invasion. Ukraine has rejected Putin’s demands, which Kyiv says amount to capitulation."}],[{"start":148.76,"text":"Medinsky said Russia thought the “entire system of security in Europe [after the second world war] is working very badly” and wanted to change it."}],[{"start":157.44,"text":"“Essentially, the whole body is sick, and Ukraine was just a cyst that burst. The whole body must be cured. A band-aid won’t be enough,” Medinsky added."}],[{"start":168.28,"text":"Europe is concerned about Moscow’s push to redesign the continent’s security architecture, including by setting a de facto ban on Nato taking in new members and forcing the alliance to withdraw its troops and military equipment stationed on its eastern flank."}],[{"start":182.82,"text":"Russia has refused to meet European and Nato envoys present in Abu Dhabi, who only held talks with the US and Ukrainian delegations."}],[{"start":190.92,"text":"Zelenskyy on Wednesday hailed indications from the US that Washington would be willing to accept European participation in future peace talks."}],[{"start":199.44,"text":"He also said he needed “concrete answers” regarding security guarantees for Ukraine from Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy."}],[{"start":207.56,"text":"“It depends on the will of the American side to put pressure Russia or not,” Zelenskyy told a news conference in Dublin, where he will attend a European summit."}],[{"start":217.64,"text":"Medinsky said Russia would only speak to European countries “when their conscience awakens” and they stopped supplying Ukraine with weapons."}],[{"start":224.48,"text":"“We haven’t heard one specific peace initiative from any European country, so it’s not clear what to discuss with them,” he said."}],[{"start":232.2,"text":"Kushner and Witkoff are expected to meet Putin in Moscow on Thursday. A senior Ukrainian official said the US negotiators would then travel to Ireland to meet Zelenskyy."}],[{"start":241.76,"text":"The trilateral talks involving the US, Russia and Ukraine were paused in February after the start of Trump’s war against Iran."}],[{"start":249.64,"text":"Officials had low expectations going into the talks in Abu Dhabi given Putin has shown no sign of wanting to halt his war in Ukraine."}],[{"start":256.4,"text":"Arakhamia said it was worth holding the talks despite a lack of major progress as long as the sides continued the prisoner swaps."}],[{"start":268.24,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1794449444_3825.mp3"}