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2w ago

Trump Hosts Freed U.S.-Russian Citizen Ksenia Karelina at White House

Karelina, detained in Russia for over a year on treason charges, was released in a prisoner swap and returned to the U.S. last month.

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Overview

  • Ksenia Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen and former ballerina, was detained in January 2024 in Russia for donating $51 to a Ukrainian aid charity on the day of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
  • She was sentenced to 12 years in a Russian penal colony for treason, with Russian authorities claiming her donation supported the Ukrainian military.
  • Karelina was freed on April 10, 2025, through a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap, in which the U.S. released Arthur Petrov, a Russian-German citizen accused of smuggling sensitive electronics to Russia.
  • President Trump welcomed Karelina to the White House on May 5, 2025, highlighting her release as a diplomatic success under his administration.
  • This marks the second high-profile release of an American from Russian captivity under Trump, following the February 2025 release of teacher Marc Fogel.