Washington, D.C. — In a rare diplomatic breakthrough between the United States and Russia, an American citizen has been released from Russian detention as part of a prisoner swap, officials from both countries confirmed Thursday, according to The New York Times.
Ksenia Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian national, was arrested in 2024 and sentenced to 12 years in a Russian prison on treason charges. Her conviction followed a donation of around $50 to a nonprofit organization supporting aid to Ukraine.
Announcing her release on X (formerly Twitter), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote, “American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States. She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year and President Trump secured her release. @POTUS will continue to work for the release of ALL Americans.”
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) confirmed that Karelina was freed after receiving a presidential pardon. In return, the U.S. released Arthur Petrov, a dual Russian-German national who had been charged by the U.S. Justice Department with violating export control laws, according to The New York Times.
CNN reported that the exchange was coordinated by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and took place Thursday in Abu Dhabi.
In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has announced the success of mediation efforts in a prisoner exchange between the United States of America and the Russian Federation. The process saw the exchange of one Russian citizen and one US citizen, and was attended by representatives of the relevant authorities from both countries.”
The ministry added, “The Ministry expressed its appreciation to the governments of the US and the Russian Federation for the confidence placed in the UAE and for designating Abu Dhabi as the location for the prisoner exchange process, which was conducted in coordination between the US and the Russian Federation.”
The UAE highlighted that Abu Dhabi’s role in the swap underscores the strong diplomatic ties it holds with both nations. The ministry expressed hope that this act of cooperation would ease tensions and foster greater international dialogue and stability.
This exchange follows a similar deal earlier in February, when American teacher Marc Fogel, detained in Russia for over three years, returned to the U.S. after another negotiation between Moscow and Washington.
Wrapped in the American flag, Fogel was welcomed at the White House by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said it was “an honour to have played a small role” in securing his release.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, in a statement released on February 11, noted that President Trump and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had successfully facilitated the exchange for Fogel.