Moscow releases US-Russian former ballerina for German-Russian businessman freed by Washington.
America and Russia have accomplished a prisoner alternate within the United Arab Emirates with Moscow releasing US-Russian nationwide Ksenia Karelina and Washington liberating German-Russian businessman Arthur Petrov.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Karelina’s lawyer confirmed the discharge on Thursday of the previous ballet dancer, who was charged by Russia with treason.
Karelina was arrested in Russia final 12 months and convicted of treason after making a $52 donation to a US charity aiding Ukraine in a case slammed by US authorities as “ludicrous”.
American Ksenia Karelina is on a aircraft again dwelling to the USA.
She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a 12 months and President Trump secured her launch. @POTUS will proceed to work for the discharge of ALL People.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 10, 2025
In return, the US launched Petrov, charged with illegally smuggling military-related microelectronics to Russia, in accordance with The Wall Road Journal.
The report was confirmed by Russia’s FSB safety service on Thursday, in accordance with a press release cited by Russia’s state information company Ria Novosti.
“In response to the FSB, Petrov has already returned to Russia,” reported Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova’s from Moscow.
Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 and extradited to the US, the place he was additionally charged with wire fraud and cash laundering.
Because of UAE
CIA Director John Ratcliffe and a senior Russian intelligence official performed talks for the swap in Abu Dhabi, in accordance with a CIA official quoted by the Journal.
“At this time, President Trump introduced dwelling one other wrongfully detained American from Russia,” Ratcliffe advised the Journal. “I’m pleased with the CIA officers who labored tirelessly to assist this effort, and we respect the federal government of UAE for enabling the alternate.”
It’s the third high-profile prisoner alternate between the US and Russia since August and the second since US President Donald Trump took workplace in January.
Trump, who has sought higher ties with Russia, in February praised the discharge of American schoolteacher Marc Fogel.
“We had been handled very properly by Russia,” Trump mentioned on the time. “I hope that’s the start of a relationship the place we are able to finish that warfare [in Ukraine].”
Regardless of warming US-Russia relations, the US president has not succeeded in his pledge to stop the fighting in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional and full ceasefire. He conditioned a proposed partial truce within the Black Sea on the West lifting sure sanctions.
US and Russian delegations met within the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul on Thursday to debate restoring the functioning of their embassies, however Ukraine was “completely not” on the agenda, in accordance with US Division of State spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
