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In a rare prisoner exchange aimed at easing tensions between Washington and Moscow, an American citizen has been freed from Russian detention, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday, according to a report by New York Times.
Arrested in 2024, Ksenia Karelina, a dual US-Russian national, had been sentenced to 12 years in a Russian prison on charges of treason. Her conviction came after she donated approximately USD 50 to a nonprofit organisation that provides aid to Ukraine. Sharing a post on X, US 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. https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1910254119794680251 Russia's intelligence agency, Federal Security Service (FSB), said in a statement that Karelina had been released after a presidential pardon in exchange for Arthur Petrov, a citizen of Russia and Germany whom the US Justice Department had charged with export control violations, New York Times reported. According to CNN, the prisoner swap took place in Abu Dhabi on Thursday and was conducted by CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Confirming the news of prisoner swap, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement 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 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 statement added. Furthermore, the UAE foreign ministry stated that choosing Abu Dhabi for the prisoner exchange process reflects the close friendship ties of both countries with the UAE and emphasised its hopes that these efforts will lead to de-escalating tensions and enhancing dialogue and understanding to achieve security and stability both regionally and internationally. Earlier in February, Marc Fogel, an American teacher who was held in Russia for over three years, returned to the United States following an 'exchange' was negotiated between Moscow and Washington. Fogel, draped in an American flag, arrived at the White House and was greeted by US President Donald Trump, who expressed that it was "an honour to have played a small role" in securing his freedom. In a statement released on February 11, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said that President Donald Trump, along with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, had successfully negotiated an exchange for Marc Fogel. (ANI)
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