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Russia has released jailed American ballerina Ksenia Karelina in an early morning prisoner swap between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump‘s respective intelligence agencies.
The early morning swap in Abu Dhabi, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is the latest sign of a deepening relationship between the two superpowers.
A dual Russian-American citizen, Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in prison in August 2024 after a Russian court found her guilty of treason for donating just over $50 to a New York-based charity supporting Ukraine.
The US maintained she was wrongfully detained along with several other American citizens and launched diplomatic campaign for their release.
The Los Angeles spa worker was arrested in February 2024 while visiting family in Yekaterinburg.
After discovering the charity donation on her phone, the FSB security service accused her of collecting funds for the benefit of the Ukrainian army.
Her lawyer said she pleaded guilty in the hope of getting a lighter sentence.
In exchange for Karelina, America released Arthur Petrov, a German-Russian citizen, who was arrested in 2023 in Cyprus for allegedly exporting sensitive microelectronics.
A dual Russian-American citizen, Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in prison in August 2024 after a Russian court found her guilty of treason for donating just over $50 to a New York-based charity supporting Ukraine
Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in a Russian penal colony
Karelia was branded an American spy but the US has now secured her release
The Los Angeles spa worker was arrested in February 2024 while visiting family in Yekaterinburg
