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Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Donald Trump meets ballerina Ksenia Karelina who he helped free from Russian hellhole jail in prisoner swap
President Donald Trump appeared delighted by a ballerina whom he helped free from a Russian prison in the pair's first meeting. Video posted online shows the commander-in-chief shaking hands with Ksenia Karelina inside the Oval Office on Monday, just weeks after the 33-year-old returned to American soil. As she offered her thanks, the president could be heard telling the dancer: 'Congratulations. That's very nice, that's a great honor.' He then joked with her family and her fiancée, professional boxer Chris van Heerden, that he now understands why they fought so hard for her return. Turning his attention back to Karelina, Trump asked her how long she was left languishing in the Russian prison - to which she replies 15 months. 'That's a long time,' Trump acknowledges. In another clip, Karelina could be seen thanking the president for securing her release. The ballerina was arrested while visiting her family in Yekaterinburg in February 2024, when Russian authorities discovered she donated $51 to the Ukrainian aid group Razom - and accused her of supporting the Ukrainian army. She was sentenced to spend 12 years in a penal colony, but was freed in a prisoner swap last month. It was negotiated between the intelligence agencies of Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Trump, and saw Karelina freed in exchange for Russian national German Arthur Petrov, who was arrested in Cyprus in August 2023 on US charges of smuggling sensitive microelectronics to Russia. Heartwarming photos from her return showed Karelina embracing her fiancé at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and walking away with a smile on her face and flowers in her hands. Petrov, meanwhile, was extradited to the US and was later released in Abu Dhabi. Following her return, van Heerden praised Trump for his efforts to bring his fiancé home. 'The old administration didn't do nothing for her. We're very thankful for President Trump and the new administration,' he told TMZ. The boxer recounted that there were 'a handful of people in the old administration that were amazing,' but he swiftly realized it would not be enough to bring his partner home. 'About eight months in we knew we were going to struggle with the Biden administration,' van Heerden said, adding that he had 'faith and belief that President Trump would bring her back.' Karelina also praised the president for his efforts, adding that she was not yet ready to speak publicly about her ordeal. 'I'm just really grateful to President Trump and the government for bringing me back and it just really feels good to be home,' she Donald Trump briefly met with ballerina Ksenia Karelina inside the Oval Office on Monday, weeks after she returned to the United States Trump was sworn in for a second term as POTUS in January, and his administration set to work negotiating the terms of Karelina's release in the months since. 'This young ballerina is out, and we appreciate that,' Trump said during a Cabinet meeting immediately following the revelation she'd made it home. CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who was reportedly involved in prisoner negotiations with FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, was among those who greeted Karelina at the airport in Abu Dhabi. He, too, praised Trump for bringing the Los Angeles-based dancer home. 'Today, President Trump brought home another wrongfully detained American from Russia,' Ratcliffe told the Wall Street Journal. 'I'm proud of the CIA officers who worked tirelessly to support this effort, and we appreciate the Government of the United Arab Emirates for enabling the exchange. Now-ousted national security adviser Mike Waltz added that: 'The United States welcomes the return of American-Russian ballerina Ksenia Karelina.' 'President Trump and his administration continue to work around the clock to ensure Americans detained abroad are returned home to their families.' Karelina's release marks the second prisoner swap between the US and Russia since Donald Trump took office in January. Russia in February freed Marc Fogel, a schoolteacher and former employee of the US embassy in Moscow. Fogel had served three and a half years of a 14-year sentence for drug smuggling after being caught in possession of a small amount of marijuana. In exchange, Washington released Alexander Vinnik, a convicted Russian cybercriminal who had pleaded guilty in a US court to conspiring to launder money. But at least 10 other Americans remain behind bars in Russia on various charges, hoping that their government can secure their release. They include Stephen Hubbard, a 73-year-old native of Michigan jailed in October for nearly seven years on charges that he served as a mercenary in Ukraine. Hubbard had been living in the Ukrainian town of Izium and was arrested after Russian forces took control of the city in 2022. His relatives rejected claims that Hubbard served for Ukraine, pointing to his advanced age. He was designated in January as wrongfully detained. Gordon Black, an active duty US staff sergeant based in South Korea, was also detained last May in Russia's Far East on suspicion of stealing money from his Russian girlfriend. A court in June found Black guilty of stealing 10,000 roubles ($104) from the woman and threatening to kill her, sentencing him to three years and nine months in prison. Another American citizen, Joseph Tater, was sentenced to 15 days in jail last August for 'petty hooliganism' after he was alleged to have abused staff at a Moscow hotel, which he denied. He should have been released after serving the small sentence, but Russian news agencies say he is now being investigated on a more serious charge of assaulting a police officer, which carries up to five years in prison. A court in September denied his appeal to be released from pre-trial detention and he remains in custody. And, in one of the most high-profile cases, American citizen Eugene Spector - who was born in Russia and then moved to the US - was charged last August with espionage. He had served as chairman of the board of Medpolymerprom Group, a company specializing in cancer-curing drugs, state media said. Spector had pleaded guilty to helping bribe an assistant to an ex-Russian deputy prime minister. It was not clear how he pleaded to the espionage charge. Now, those prisoners hope Trump's efforts to renew diplomatic ties with Russia will see them freed in the coming months. 'The exchange shows the importance of keeping lines of communication open with Russia, despite the deep challenges in our bilateral relationship,' a CIA spokeswoman told the WSJ following Karelina's release. 'While we are disappointed that other Americans remain wrongfully detained in Russia, we see this exchange as a positive step and will continue to work for their release.'
Sky News
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Ksenia Karelina: Ballerina arrives home in US after 'nightmare' of Russian penal colony
A former ballerina who spent more than a year in a Russian jail for donating £40 to a charity supporting Ukraine has returned home to the US after being freed in a prisoner exchange. Ksenia Karelina landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at around 11pm, local time, on Thursday. A smiling Ms Karelina was greeted on the runway by her fiance, the professional boxer Chris van Heerden, and given flowers by Morgan Ortagus, President Donald Trump's deputy special envoy to the Middle East. Van Heerden said in a statement he was "overjoyed to hear that the love of my life, Ksenia Karelina, is on her way home from wrongful detention in Russia. "She has endured a nightmare for 15 months and I cannot wait to hold her. Our dog, Boots, is also eagerly awaiting her return." He thanked Mr Trump and his envoys, as well as prominent public figures who had championed her case, including Dana White, a friend of Mr Trump and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Ms Karelina, 34, a US-Russian citizen also identified as Ksenia Khavana, was accused of treason when she was arrested in Yekaterinburg, in southwestern Russia, while visiting family in February last year. Investigators searched her mobile phone and found she made a $51.80 (£40) donation to Razom, a charity that provides aid to Ukraine, on the first day of Russia's invasion in 2022. She admitted the charge at a closed trial in the city in August last year and was later jailed for 12 years, to be served in a penal colony. At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Mr Trump, who wants to normalise relations with Moscow, said the Kremlin " released the young ballerina and she is now out, and that was good. So we appreciate that". He said the release followed conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian security services accused her of "proactively" collecting money for a Ukrainian organisation that was supplying gear to Kyiv's forces. The First Department, a Russian rights group, said the charges stemmed from a $51.80 donation to a US charity aiding Ukraine. Washington, which had called her case "absolutely ludicrous", released Arthur Petrov, who it was holding on charges of smuggling sensitive microelectronics to Russia, in the prisoner swap in Abu Dhabi. Karelina was among a growing number of Americans arrested in Russia in recent years as tensions between Moscow and Washington spiked over the war in Ukraine. Her release is the latest in a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges Russia and the US carried out in the last three years - and the second since Mr Trump took office. White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said members of the Trump administration "continue to work around the clock to ensure Americans detained abroad are returned home to their families".
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ksenia Karelina: Hugs and smiles as ballerina jailed in Russia arrives home in US after prisoner exchange
A former ballerina who spent more than a year in a Russian jail for donating £40 to a charity supporting Ukraine has returned home to the US after being freed in a prisoner exchange. Ksenia Karelina landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at around 11pm, local time, on Thursday. A smiling Ms Karelina was greeted on the runway by her fiance, the professional boxer Chris van Heerden, and given flowers by Morgan Ortagus, President Donald Trump's deputy special envoy to the Middle East. China hits back in US tariffs row - latest Van Heerden said in a statement he was "overjoyed to hear that the love of my life, Ksenia Karelina, is on her way home from wrongful detention in Russia. "She has endured a nightmare for 15 months and I cannot wait to hold her. Our dog, Boots, is also eagerly awaiting her return." He thanked Mr Trump and his envoys, as well as prominent public figures who had championed her case, including Dana White, a friend of Mr Trump and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Ms Karelina, 34, a US-Russian citizen also identified as Ksenia Khavana, was accused of treason when she was arrested in Yekaterinburg, in southwestern Russia, while visiting family in February last year. Investigators searched her mobile phone and found she made a $51.80 (£40) donation to Razom, a charity that provides aid to Ukraine, on the first day of Russia's invasion in 2022. She admitted the charge at a closed trial in the city in August last year and was later jailed for 12 years, to be served in a penal colony. At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Mr Trump, who wants to normalise relations with Moscow, said the Kremlin "released the young ballerina and she is now out, and that was good. So we appreciate that". He said the release followed conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian security services accused her of "proactively" collecting money for a Ukrainian organisation that was supplying gear to Kyiv's forces. The First Department, a Russian rights group, said the charges stemmed from a $51.80 donation to a US charity aiding Ukraine. Washington, which had called her case "absolutely ludicrous", released Arthur Petrov, who it was holding on charges of smuggling sensitive microelectronics to Russia, in the prisoner swap in Abu Dhabi. Read more:Children die in helicopter crashWolf of Wall St defends Trump23C possible in UK on Friday Karelina was among a growing number of Americans arrested in Russia in recent years as tensions between Moscow and Washington spiked over the war in Ukraine. Her release is the latest in a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges Russia and the US carried out in the last three years - and the second since Mr Trump took office. White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said members of the Trump administration "continue to work around the clock to ensure Americans detained abroad are returned home to their families".
Sky News
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Ksenia Karelina: Hugs and smiles as ballerina jailed in Russia arrives home in US after prisoner exchange
A former ballerina who spent more than a year in a Russian jail for donating £40 to a charity supporting Ukraine has returned home to the US after being freed in a prisoner exchange. Ksenia Karelina landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at around 11pm, local time, on Thursday. A smiling Ms Karelina was greeted on the runway by her fiance, the professional boxer Chris van Heerden, and given flowers by Morgan Ortagus, President Donald Trump's deputy special envoy to the Middle East. Van Heerden said in a statement he was "overjoyed to hear that the love of my life, Ksenia Karelina, is on her way home from wrongful detention in Russia. "She has endured a nightmare for 15 months and I cannot wait to hold her. Our dog, Boots, is also eagerly awaiting her return." He thanked Mr Trump and his envoys, as well as prominent public figures who had championed her case, including Dana White, a friend of Mr Trump and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Ms Karelina, 34, a US-Russian citizen also identified as Ksenia Khavana, was accused of treason when she was arrested in Yekaterinburg, in southwestern Russia, while visiting family in February last year. Investigators searched her mobile phone and found she made a $51.80 (£40) donation to Razom, a charity that provides aid to Ukraine, on the first day of Russia's invasion in 2022. She admitted the charge at a closed trial in the city in August last year and was later jailed for 12 years, to be served in a penal colony. At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Mr Trump, who wants to normalise relations with Moscow, said the Kremlin " released the young ballerina and she is now out, and that was good. So we appreciate that". He said the release followed conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian security services accused her of "proactively" collecting money for a Ukrainian organisation that was supplying gear to Kyiv's forces. The First Department, a Russian rights group, said the charges stemmed from a $51.80 donation to a US charity aiding Ukraine. Washington, which had called her case "absolutely ludicrous", released Arthur Petrov, who it was holding on charges of smuggling sensitive microelectronics to Russia, in the prisoner swap in Abu Dhabi. Karelina was among a growing number of Americans arrested in Russia in recent years as tensions between Moscow and Washington spiked over the war in Ukraine. Her release is the latest in a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges Russia and the US carried out in the last three years - and the second since Mr Trump took office. White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said members of the Trump administration "continue to work around the clock to ensure Americans detained abroad are returned home to their families".
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ksenia Karelina, Imprisoned in Russia for Donating $51 to a Pro-Ukraine Charity, Is Freed
An American citizen detained in Russia was released on Thursday in an early morning prisoner exchange. Russian authorities arrested Ksenia Karelina, who lives in Los Angeles, in early 2024 during a visit to see her 90-year-old grandmother and other family members. Law enforcement flagged her at the airport after noting she had a U.S. passport and searched her phone, where they found a $51.80 donation she made to Razom, a pro-Ukraine charity, in 2022 while she was in the States. Karelina was initially arrested for "petty hooliganism." The government then raised the charge to treason, for which she received a 12-year sentence following a closed-door trial. Born in Yekaterinburg, Russia, she immigrated to the U.S. in 2012 and became a citizen in 2021. "American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement posted on X. "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." Chris van Heerden, her partner, said last year that Karelina wrote to him describing her life pre-trial in prison, where she was only permitted to shower once a week and was forced to sleep with the lights on. She was permitted to go to the roof for fresh air, she added, but eventually stopped doing so, as the guards would lock the door and leave the prisoners in the cold for hours. "I am overjoyed to hear that the love of my life, Ksenia Karelina is on her way home from wrongful detention in Russia," he said in a statement. "She has endured a nightmare for 15 months and I cannot wait to hold her." Karelina was released in exchange for Arthur Petrov, a German-Russian citizen who was arrested in Cyprus in August 2023 and extradited to the U.S. for allegedly smuggling sensitive microelectronics with military applications to Russia. Karelina's release comes two months after the Trump administration orchestrated a prisoner exchange for Marc Fogel, an American teacher who was arrested in Russia in 2021 and sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony after he was found with 0.6 ounces of medical marijuana. And in August, former President Joe Biden's administration executed an elaborate prisoner swap that saw more than a dozen people released by Russia—including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, journalist and dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan—in exchange for Russians jailed in the U.S. and Europe. Still stuck in Russian custody is American Stephen Hubbard, who was sentenced to almost seven years in prison in October after he was convicted of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. Hubbard, an English teacher, had been living in Izium, Ukraine, when he was arrested after Russia overtook the town. The charges are a bit beyond belief, considering that he is now 73 years old. The post Ksenia Karelina, Imprisoned in Russia for Donating $51 to a Pro-Ukraine Charity, Is Freed appeared first on
