An American ballerina who was left languishing in a Russian prison until President Donald Trump negotiated her release in a prisoner swap deal has returned home to Los Angeles.
In a moving clip, Ksenia Karelina was seen being embraced in the arms of her fiancé, professional boxer Chris van Heerden, who tirelessly campaigned for her to be freed.
It was the second time the pair were united after he met her as she disembarked the plane at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland nine days ago upon traveling from the swap point in Abu Dhabi.
Karelina’s safe return followed months of imprisonment in Russia, after her shocking arrest during a visit to her family in Yekaterinburg in February 2024. Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony in January 2024 for making a $51 donation to Ukraine.
After relishing in an emotional moment together, van Heerden spoke of his frustration of making no progress to get his fiancée home under Biden. Instead, he turned to Trump, believing that he would be the best chance at securing Karelina’s freedom.
‘The old administration didn’t do nothing for her. We’re very thankful for President Trump and the new administration,’ van Heerden told TMZ.
He said 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,’ he said.
Ksenia Karelina was seen being embraced in the arms of her fiancé, boxer Chris van Heerden, at LAX after previously reuniting in Maryland nine days earlier
Karelina was detained after the FSB security service found a $51 donation to the Ukrainian aid group Razom on her phone and accused her of supporting the Ukrainian army
‘I had faith and belief that President Trump would bring her back and we had to wait,’ he said.
Karelina herself also praised Trump 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 said.
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.
The 33-year-old ballerina was seen embracing van Heerden and her loved ones when she arrived in Maryland last week – her first time on US soil in more than a year.
She was detained after the FSB security service found a $51 donation to the Ukrainian aid group Razom on her phone and accused her of supporting the Ukrainian army.
Karelina was overjoyed as she finally was held by her fiancé as she arrived on Thursday April 10 in Maryland
Karelina (seen hopping off the plane as she stepped onto the US soil for the first time in more than one year) was sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony in January 2024 for making a $51 donation to Ukraine
‘About eight months in we knew we were going to struggle with the Biden administration,’ Karelina’s partner said
The prisoner exchange, which took place on the tarmac of an airport in Abu Dhabi, marks significant behind-the-scenes communication between the two nations, with Trump emphasizing the importance of the deal.
Karelina was freed in exchange for Russian national German Arthur Petrov, arrested in Cyprus in August 2023 on US charges of smuggling sensitive microelectronics to Russia.
Petrov was extradited to the US and later released in Abu Dhabi.
The CIA underscored that the exchange highlights the critical need for continued communication with Russia despite ongoing tensions, while US and Russian diplomats also met in Istanbul for talks aimed at stabilizing diplomatic relations.
Karelina’s release marks the second prisoner swap between the US and Russia since Trump took office in January.
Russia in February freed Marc Fogel, a schoolteacher and former employee of the US embassy in Moscow.
Karelina’s release marks the second prisoner swap between the US and Russia since Donald Trump took office in January
Russian-American dual citizen Ksenia Karelina boards a private jet after her release at an airport in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 10
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.
At least 10 other Americans remain behind bars in Russia on various charges, hoping their government can secure their release.