Abu Dhabi, UAE — In a rare display of cooperation, the United States and Russia carried out a prisoner swap on Thursday — the second since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January — as both nations signal a renewed effort to rebuild strained diplomatic ties.
Russia released U.S.-Russian dual citizen Ksenia Karelina, a former ballet dancer and spa worker from Los Angeles, who had been imprisoned since early 2024 on treason charges for allegedly donating to a Ukrainian charity. In exchange, the United States released Arthur Petrov, a Russian-German citizen accused of violating U.S. export controls by allegedly shipping sensitive electronics to Russia.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Karelina’s release, stating on social media, “American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States. She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year. President Trump will continue to work for the release of ALL Americans.”
The prisoner exchange reportedly took place in Abu Dhabi, where CIA Director John Ratcliffe and a senior Russian intelligence official were personally present for the handover, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. A CIA spokesperson said the swap underscored “the importance of maintaining open lines of communication with Russia, even amidst significant tensions.”
Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, confirmed that she had departed Abu Dhabi and was en route to the U.S. following her release. The 33-year-old had been sentenced to 12 years in a Russian penal colony for contributing roughly $50 to a U.S.-based pro-Ukraine charity — a donation Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) alleged was used to support Ukraine’s military. Karelina denied the charges, and supporters labeled her detention politically motivated.
Meanwhile, Petrov had faced up to 20 years in prison in the U.S. after being arrested in Cyprus in 2023 at Washington’s request. He was accused of exporting restricted microelectronic components to Russia in violation of sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine.
This latest exchange follows a February deal in which U.S. citizen Kalob Wayne Byers, arrested in Moscow for carrying cannabis edibles, was released after a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Another earlier exchange saw American teacher Marc Fogel swapped for Russian cyber specialist Alexander Vinnik, wanted for cybercrime and money laundering.
The most significant prisoner exchange between the two nations since the Cold War occurred on August 1, 2024, when journalists — including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich — and political detainees were traded for alleged Russian spies held in Western countries.
While Moscow has yet to officially confirm Thursday’s swap, the move comes as Washington and Moscow engage in ongoing backchannel talks. A new round of negotiations opened in Istanbul this week, focusing on partially restoring embassy operations that were reduced following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Despite continued disagreements over the war, the Trump and Putin administrations have signaled growing interest in reviving bilateral cooperation. However, several American citizens remain imprisoned in Russia, and U.S. officials continue to accuse Moscow of using them as bargaining chips to secure the release of Russians detained in the West.
“This is a step forward,” said a senior U.S. official involved in the talks, “but we remain vigilant and committed to bringing every American unjustly detained abroad back home.”
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