Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump welcomed American ballerina Ksenia Karelina to the White House on Monday after his administration recently secured her release from Russia.
Karelina, a dual American-Russian citizen, was detained last year on treason charges while visiting Russia.
“Congratulations, it’s a great honor,” Trump said upon meeting Karelina in the Oval Office.
“Honored to join @POTUS at the @WhiteHouse today to welcome Ksenia Karelina. The Trump Administration is committed to bringing home every single American who is wrongfully detained around the world,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted to X.
The Trump administration secured Karelina’s release in a prison exchange last month for German-Russian Arthur Petrov, who was arrested in Cyprus in 2023.
“Today, President Trump brought home another wrongfully detained American from Russia,” CIA director John Ratcliffe said at the time. “I’m proud of the CIA officers who worked tirelessly to support this effort, and we appreciate the Government of U.A.E. for enabling the exchange.”
Rubio also addressed the woman’s release in a post to X.
“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,” he wrote early Thursday.
Karelina received a 12-year sentence in a Russian penal colony after admitting guilt to treason for making a $51.80 donation to a Ukrainian charity in early 2024.
She was originally arrested in February 2024 during a visit to her family in Russia, facing a minor charge of “petty hooliganism.” However, the charge was later escalated to treason, with Russian officials accusing her of being an American spy. Authorities alleged that Karelina, a Los Angeles resident, had supported the Ukrainian military and participated in pro-Ukraine activities while living in the United States.
Her release marks the latest case of an American citizen imprisoned abroad being returned to the U.S. during Donald Trump’s presidency. Earlier in February, Trump also secured the return of Marc Fogel, an American history teacher who had been held in Russia since 2021.
