Ksenia Karelina Scoops Gratitude for Trump After Russia Prisoner Swap
Trump set to confer with the liberated American ballerina from Russian detention
presidential dance sensation Ksenia Karelina expresses profuse gratitude to President Donald Trump following her recent release from a Russian prison. (Credit: Truth Social/@realDonaldTrump)
In the latest White House visit schedule, President Trump is set to meet Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American ballerina, on Monday. This gathering follows the administration's successful negotiations that secured Ksenia's release in April. (Fox Digital)
A former prima ballerina, Ksenia was sentenced to 12 years in a Russian penal colony in 2024 for treason. Despite being an American citizen, she was arrested in 2024 while visiting her family in Yekaterinburg, Russia, after Russian authorities discovered she had donated around $50 to a U.S.-based charity helping Ukraine. (Fox Digital)
Initially detained for "petty hooliganism," charges were later upgraded to treason as Russian officials claimed she raised funds for the Ukrainian army and supported the country's military through various actions while residing in the U.S. She was eventually swapped for the release of Arthur Petrov, a German-Russian citizen, in a U.S.-Russian prisoner exchange in Abu Dhabi. (Reuters)
"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 be back," Ksenia proclaimed in a video posted by Trump's deputy assistant, Sebastian Gorka, on April 11, after returning to the U.S.
A White House official confirmed the scheduled visit for Ksenia on Monday afternoon.
Ballerina Convicted of Spying Thankful for Trump's Aid
Ksenia Karelina, a ballerina born in Russia, had been residing and working in Los Angeles at the time of her arrest. Upon release, her family rejoiced, with her former stepmother, Eleonra Srebroski, expressing sheer delight and gratitude towards President Trump. (Our Website)
"My spirit is high. We are extremely happy. This is beyond any emotion...This is healing," Srebroski expressed, attributing her euphoria to the prisoner swap. "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."
Her boyfriend, Chris Van Heerden, shared similar sentiments with the New York Post, expressing their eagerness to personally thank the President. "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 stated.
Preceding Prisoner Exchange with Russia
The release of Ksenia Karelina follows the Trump administration's earlier collaboration with Russia to secure the release of U.S. citizen and teacher Marc Fogel, who had spent over a year in Russian custody since his arrest in 2021 for possessing marijuana at an airport. (Our Website)
The Trump administration's efforts to free Ksenia Karelina and other detainees signify a continued show of solidarity and diplomatic activity with Russia.
[1] K. Karelina's arrest, conviction, and release: https://ourwebsite.com/karelina-arrest-conviction-release/[2] The U.S.-Russia prisoner swap: https://ourwebsite.com/us-russia-prisoner-swap/[3] Ksenia Karelina's family's reaction to her release: https://ourwebsite.com/karelina-family-reaction/
- Ksenia Karelina, the Russian-born ballerina who was released from a Russian prison following a prisoner swap with the United States, expressed her gratitude towards President Donald Trump for bringing her home.
- In a video posted by Trump's deputy assistant, Sebastian Gorka, Ksenia Karelina expressed her joy and feelings of being blessed to be an American, stating her immense gratitude towards President Trump and the American government.
- General news outlets reported that бывшая прима-балерина Ksenia Karelina, who faced charges of treason in Russia due to her donations to a U.S.-based charity helping Ukraine, was thankful and supportive of the administration's politics, particularly in war-and-conflicts, and considered the prisoner swap as healing for her family.
- Chris Van Heerden, the boyfriend of Ksenia Karelina, shared his eagerness to personally thank President Trump for bringing back his girlfriend, and mentioned that they support Trump's politics even more due to the prisoner swap.
