Trump to Host Ballerina Freed from Russian Prison

Former President Donald Trump is set to welcome Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American ballerina, to the White House on Monday. This visit comes roughly a month after the Trump administration successfully negotiated her release from a Russian penal colony where she was serving a 12-year sentence for treason. Karelina’s release and return to the United States on April 10 was facilitated through a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia.

The case garnered significant attention due to the severity of the charges against Karelina, particularly given the circumstances surrounding her arrest and conviction. Karelina, a U.S. citizen who had been living and working in Los Angeles, was visiting her family in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in early 2024 when she was detained. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the country’s primary security agency, inspected her phone and discovered that she had donated approximately $50 to a U.S.-based charity that provides aid to Ukraine.

Initially, Karelina was detained on charges of "petty hooliganism." However, the charges were subsequently escalated to treason, with Russian officials alleging that she had raised money for the Ukrainian army and engaged in activities supporting Ukraine while residing in the U.S. These allegations were met with skepticism by many, who viewed them as politically motivated and disproportionate to the relatively small donation she had made.

Upon her return to the U.S., Karelina expressed profound gratitude to former President Trump and the American government for securing her release. In a video posted by Trump deputy assistant Sebastian Gorka on April 11, she stated, "Mr. Trump, I’m so, so grateful for you to bring me home and for [the] American government. And I never felt more blessed to be American, and I’m so, so happy to get home."

A White House official confirmed Karelina’s planned visit to the White House on Monday afternoon, signaling the importance that the Trump administration places on her release and return.

Karelina’s release was achieved through a prisoner swap in which the U.S. released Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen who had been accused of exporting sensitive U.S. electronics to the Russian military. Petrov had been arrested in 2023 and faced charges including conspiracy and violating export controls. The swap highlights the complex geopolitical dynamics involved in securing the release of American citizens detained abroad, often requiring delicate negotiations and difficult trade-offs.

The news of Karelina’s release was met with jubilation by her family. Her former stepmother, Eleonra Srebroski, expressed her euphoria and praised Trump for his role in securing her release. "My spirit is high. We are extremely happy. This is beyond any emotion…This is healing," Srebroski stated, adding, "We were putting a lot of hope in the Trump administration, and we knew she would be next after Marc Fogel. We support Trump even more."

Karelina’s boyfriend, Chris Van Heerden, also expressed his immense relief and gratitude, stating that the couple was eager to meet Trump and thank him personally. "We really need to thank him personally. When the time’s right, she’d love to meet him and I would love to shake his hand for bringing back the love of my life. And I’m not into politics," Van Heerden said. He also voiced his frustration with the Biden administration, claiming that his pleas for Karelina’s release had gone unanswered for a year. "I was begging the Biden administration for a whole year to bring Ksenia back. About seven months I realized that’s not going to happen. They’re not going to do it for me. I had faith and I truly believed when President Trump came into power, he could do it and he did it," he added.

Karelina’s case and subsequent release bear similarities to other instances where the Trump administration has intervened to secure the release of American citizens detained in foreign countries. In February, the Trump administration successfully negotiated the release of U.S. citizen and teacher Marc Fogel, who had been held in Russian custody since 2021 after being arrested for possession of marijuana at an airport. These instances underscore the Trump administration’s willingness to engage in prisoner swaps and diplomatic negotiations to bring Americans home.

The circumstances surrounding Karelina’s arrest and conviction have raised concerns about the potential for politically motivated prosecutions and the use of charges like treason to silence dissent or target individuals with connections to Ukraine. The fact that a relatively small donation to a Ukrainian charity could result in a 12-year prison sentence highlights the risks faced by individuals who express support for Ukraine or engage in activities perceived as critical of the Russian government.

Karelina’s visit to the White House is likely to be a significant event, providing her with an opportunity to personally thank former President Trump for his efforts in securing her release and raising awareness about the plight of other Americans detained abroad. It also serves as a reminder of the complex and often challenging relationships between the U.S. and other countries, particularly in cases involving the detention of citizens and the negotiation of prisoner swaps. The event will undoubtedly be viewed by some as a political victory for Trump, while others may see it as a humanitarian gesture that transcends political considerations. Regardless of the interpretation, Karelina’s story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unwavering hope for freedom, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.