US-Russia Ties: Prisoner Exchange Leads to Release of Treason-Convicted Dual Citizen Ksenia Karelina
In a significant development in US-Russia relations, a prisoner exchange between the two countries has resulted in the release of Ksenia Karelina, a dual US-Russian citizen who had been serving a sentence in Russia for treason.
Karelina, a former ballet dancer who later became a US citizen after marrying an American and settling in Los Angeles, was arrested in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in February 2024. She was accused of treason for donating approximately $52 to a charity supporting Ukraine. According to Russian authorities, the Federal Security Service claimed the funds were intended for a Ukrainian organization.
Her arrest had sparked international criticism, with US officials calling the charges baseless. Following diplomatic negotiations, Karelina was released and is now en route to the United States. Her lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, confirmed that she is flying in from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also confirmed her release in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that she is on her way back to American soil.
In exchange, the US released Arthur Petrov, a German-Russian national who had been arrested in Cyprus in 2023. Petrov was facing charges related to the illegal export of sensitive microelectronics.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe praised the operation, stating, “Today, President Trump brought home another wrongly detained American from Russia. I am proud of the CIA officers who supported this effort, and we are grateful to the UAE government for facilitating the exchange.”
The prisoner swap took place in Abu Dhabi. This is not the first such exchange between the US and Russia in recent years. In December 2022, American basketball star Brittney Griner was released from Russian custody in exchange for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
