Russia released Ksenia Karelina, a double American-Russian national who was sentenced to 12 years in prison For betrayal in August of last year, in a new prison swap on Thursday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed his release in a Social media message Early Thursday, but offered no information on the terms of his release.
THE Wall Street Journal first reported The release of Karelina, saying that she had been released in an exchange organized by the intelligence agencies of the two countries, and a CIA official said later to CBS News that the agency had played a central role in the agreement on behalf of the United States government.
“American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane in the back of the United States,” said Rubio in his post. “She was wrongly detained by Russia for more than a year and President Trump obtained his release.”
In a press release published for the first time by the newspaper and later provided to CBS News, CIA director, John Ratcliffe, said: “President Trump brought back to the house, a other American -detained from Russia” and added his praise for “CIA officers who worked tirelessly to support this effort” and for the United Arab Emière of Abu Dhabi, According to him, had made the exchange. The exchange of the two detainees was carried out in Abu Dhabi.
Foreign Water Ministry via Reuters
Ratcliffe was directly involved in the negotiations, which he carried out with a senior Russian intelligence, said the CIA.
High -level communication indicates a deepening of the Trump administration efforts to improve links with Moscow. Mr. Trump pushed both Russia and Ukraine to negotiate a peace agreement to end the three years War triggered by the large -scale invasion during Russia of his neighbor.
In exchange for Karelina, who lives in California, the CIA official confirmed that the United States had released Arthur Petrov, a German-Russian national arrested in Cyprus 2023 at the request of the American authorities. According to the newspaper, he was detained on export allegations of sensitive microelectronics.
“A large part of the exchange has been negotiated by the American government, the CIA playing a key role engaging with Russian intelligence,” said a CIA spokesman, “the exchange shows the importance of keeping the communication routes open with Russia, despite the deep challenges in our bilateral relationship.”
Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in a Russian criminal colony after pleading guilty of betrayal. She was arrested during her visit to Russia for donating around $ 51 to an American humanitarian group who helped Ukrainians affected by the war, according to the Russian state media.
Her lawyers said that she had recognized the transfer of funds, although she did not admit that she intentionally directed them to organizations that could have used money for actions against Russia. She did not expect her donation to end up supporting anti-Russian activities, according to her lawyers.
Karelina’s boyfriend, Chris Van Heerden, told CBS News Last year, she had the little donation in 2022, “exercising her first amendment rights”, adding that “she did nothing wrong”.
Van Heerden said he was worried about Karelina’s decision to return to Russia for a visit, given the war in progress between Russia and Ukraine, but he said that she “had not worried in the world” and that she had assured her that she would be sure because she entered the country as a double American-Russian citizen.
“She wanted to go home. She clearly said that she wanted to go home,” Van Heerden told Gayle King on “morning CBS”.
Wanting to make his wish to visit the house, Van Heerden said that he had bought her a plane ticket as a birthday present, and the pair first went together in Istanbul. He initially intended to travel with her to Russia from there, but he did not feel comfortable, so she went alone to Russia, and he returned to Los Angeles.
Russia has imprisoned a number of Americans while the tensions with Washington have skyrocketed in the middle of the construction, and ultimately the large -scale war in Ukraine. Paul WhelanWall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and teacher Marc Fogel were all wrongly designated as Karelina and released in previous prisoners’ exchanges with Moscow.
Among the American nationals still imprisoned in Russia, the American army staff sergeant. Gordon BlackIncluding the three -year sentence in nine -month prison for stealing and threatening his Russian girlfriend was reduced earlier this week by seven months by a Russian court.
Robert Gilman, 72, is currently serving a 3 1/2 -year sentence in Russia for having attacked a police officer, and Travis LeakeA musician sentenced to drugs was sentenced to 13 years in prison last summer.
A Russian Court sentenced to 72 years old 72 years oldStephen Hubbard, nearly seven years in prison in October for having fought alongside the Ukrainian soldiers.
Joseph Tater46 years old, still awaits his trial for having pretended to assault a Russian police officer in a hotel in Moscow. He was involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital during the weekend, according to the Russian state media.
Analisa Novak And
contributed to this report.