ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday that its mediation efforts had led to the successful exchange of 180 war captives between Russia and Ukraine.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the latest mediation, the fifth since the beginning of this year, is “a result of the UAE leveraging its distinct ties and partnership with both sides, including its role as a reliable mediator between the parties.”

Previous mediation efforts by the UAE since the start of 2024 have facilitated four prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine.

In December 2022, the UAE also successfully mediated a prisoner swap between the US and Russia.

The UAE has positioned itself as a neutral broker trying to facilitate dialogue and de-escalation between Russia and Ukraine amid the ongoing war.

Russia has been conducting a military operation in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

Moscow says that Ukraine's plans to join the US-led NATO alliance pose a threat to Russia's national security.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio