Exclusive-Russians, Ukrainians met in UAE to discuss prisoner swap, ammonia, sources say

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar speaks during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey February 24, 2022. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan

RIYADH (Reuters) - Representatives from Russia and Ukraine met in the United Arab Emirates last week to discuss the possibility of a prisoner-of-war swap that would be linked to a resumption of Russian ammonia exports, which go to Asia and Africa, via a Ukrainian pipeline, three sources with knowledge of the meeting said.

The sources said the talks were being mediated by the Gulf Arab state and did not include the United Nations despite the U.N.'s central role in negotiating the ongoing initiative to export agricultural products from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports. Ammonia is used to make fertilizer.