A Los Angeles-based ballet dancer who was recently released by Russia in a prisoner swap safely arrived in the United States on Thursday night, marking the second such swap under President Donald Trump as both Moscow and Washington work to rebuild their strained relationship.
Ksenia Karelina, a dual US-Russian citizen who had been convicted of “treason” in Russia for a $50 donation to a pro-Ukraine charity, landed at Joint Base Andrews shortly before 11:00 PM local time Thursday (0300 GMT). Karelina was warmly greeted by several loved ones, including her boyfriend, South African boxer Chris van Heerden, who cheered and shouted, “Welcome home!” as they embraced.
In exchange, the US freed Arthur Petrov, a Russian-German national who had been accused of illegally exporting US-made electronics to companies supplying the Russian military.
The swap took place at an airport in Abu Dhabi, where a dozen individuals dressed in suits were reportedly present, as shown in video footage shared by Russia’s FSB security service.
Trump has worked to reset relations with Moscow since assuming office, despite the sharp decline in US-Russia ties following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trump remarked that Karelina’s case had been brought to his attention by the president of the UFC, a mixed martial arts organization, and that the United States then requested Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assistance in securing her release.
“She is now out, and that was good. So we appreciate that,” Trump said during a cabinet meeting, adding, “We hope that we’re going to be able to make a deal relatively soon with Russia and Ukraine to stop the fighting. It’s so senseless.”
The video from FSB showed Petrov aboard a plane after his release, where he described having not slept for two days but made no other complaints.
Petrov, arrested in Cyprus in 2023 and subsequently extradited to the US, had been facing up to 20 years in prison.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe was heavily involved in the negotiations with Russian intelligence and other international partners, according to a CIA spokesperson.
Ratcliffe thanked the UAE for facilitating the exchange, noting that while this was a positive development, there were still other Americans being wrongfully detained in Russia.
“We see this exchange as a positive step and will continue to work for their release,” the spokesperson stated.
The State Department also raised the case of Stephen Hubbard, a British teacher who was detained by Russian forces during their invasion of Ukraine.
Hubbard is accused of being a mercenary, a charge the US disputes.
“We continue to work to free Mr. Hubbard and all other Americans unjustly detained,” said State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
As the prisoner swap occurred, US and Russian officials met in Istanbul to discuss restoring embassy staffing levels, which had been reduced due to mutual expulsion of diplomats.
The State Department reported that Washington renewed concerns about Moscow’s prohibition of US citizens working in US missions in Russia, while both countries also sought to formalize an agreement on banking access for diplomats despite US sanctions.
Karelina, 33, was serving a 12-year sentence for donating to a pro-Ukraine charity.
She was arrested in January 2024 while visiting family in Yekaterinburg, Russia, and charged with “treason” for allegedly aiding Ukraine’s military.
However, Karelina and her supporters argue that her donation was only to a US-based humanitarian group.
Petrov, on the other hand, was accused of illegally exporting US electronics for military purposes, violating sanctions imposed on Russia over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Earlier this year, in February, following a call between Presidents Putin and Trump, Russia released Kalob Wayne Byers, a US citizen arrested for carrying cannabis edibles at Moscow’s airport.
Similarly, in early February, the US and Russia swapped teacher Marc Fogel for Russian computer expert Alexander Vinnik.
The largest US-Russia prisoner exchange since the Cold War occurred on August 1, 2024, when several journalists, including Evan Gershkovich from The Wall Street Journal, and dissidents held in Russia were exchanged for alleged Russian spies detained in the West.
