Overview

• Ksenia Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, was detained in January 2024 while visiting family in Yekaterinburg, Russia, and sentenced to 12 years for treason in August 2024.
• Her alleged crime was a $51 donation to a Ukrainian charity, which Russian authorities claimed supported the Ukrainian military during the ongoing conflict.
• Karelina was freed on April 10, 2025, in a prisoner swap that saw the U.S. release Arthur Petrov, a Russian-German citizen accused of smuggling sensitive electronics to Russia.
• The White House meeting highlights the Trump administration's efforts to secure the release of detained Americans through diplomacy and prisoner exchanges.
• Karelina's case underscores broader tensions in U.S.-Russia relations and Russia's use of treason charges against dual citizens for political leverage.