A Russian American ballerina, sentenced to 12 years in prison in Russia for donating to a charity supporting Ukraine, arrived in Washington on Thursday after being freed in a prisoner exchange for a man the U.S. accused of orchestrating a global smuggling ring to supply Russia’s military with sensitive electronics.
The swap, conducted on the tarmac of an Abu Dhabi airport, signals deep diplomatic channels between President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin and the administration of President Donald Trump, who has expressed a desire to broker a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Ksenia Karelina, a dual citizen, was convicted by a Russian court last year on charges of treason for contributing $51.80 to a U.S.-based charity aiding Ukraine.
When the plane carrying Karelina landed in Washington late Thursday, she was met by her boyfriend, UFC fighter Chris van Heerden, who hugged and kissed her as others around them cheered.
During the exchange, Arthur Petrov, a dual German Russian citizen arrested in 2023 in the Greek Cypriot administration at the request of the United States after being accused of exporting sensitive microelectronics, was shown by Russian state television walking past Karelina toward a Russian plane, where he underwent medical check-ups.
"Petrov was exchanged for U.S. citizen Ksenia Karelina, who also holds Russian citizenship and was sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony for treason in the form of financial assistance to a foreign state," said Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB.
A U.S. official told Reuters that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff raised Karelina’s case with Putin during a call last week, and that Putin's response was to "do something as a goodwill gesture because he wants to settle the war."
U.S. talks with Russia and Ukraine about ending the war were to continue, and Witkoff would travel to Russia soon, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also involved in the negotiations, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe helped finalize the deal, a second U.S. official said.
Trump publicly thanked Russia for the release of the ballerina. He said he had received a call advocating for her release from a friend, UFC Chairperson Dana White.
"They released the young ballerina, and she is now out, and that was great. So we appreciate that. We hope that we're going to be able to make a deal relatively soon with Russia and Ukraine to stop the fighting," Trump told reporters.
Two sources close to the swap, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Putin's special envoy for international economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, played a role in the discussions.
Dmitriev, a Stanford University-educated former Goldman Sachs investment banker, is one of the most U.S.-savvy members of Russia's elite, with close ties to some key members of the Trump team. He met Witkoff in Washington last week.
The United States lists several Americans – some dual citizens – who are in jail in Russia, including Stephen Hubbard, an English teacher whom Washington has officially declared wrongfully detained.
U.S. teacher Marc Fogel was released from a Russian prison in February during a visit by Witkoff to Moscow. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Dmitriev were involved in those negotiations.
In August 2024, the U.S. and Russia carried out their biggest prisoner swap since the Cold War, with 24 prisoners gaining their freedom, including U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
The U.S. Justice Department said last year that Petrov had participated in a scheme to procure U.S.-sourced microelectronics for manufacturers supplying weaponry and other equipment to the Russian military.
The department also said that Petrov had formed an elaborate tech-smuggling syndicate that funneled sensitive technology to Russia’s military-industrial complex through a web of shell companies. Petrov was unavailable for comment.
