WASHINGTON – President Trump welcomed Russian-American ballerina Xenia Karelina on Monday, officially bringing her to the United States after a prisoner exchange 15 months in the making.
Karelina, 33, arrived in the U.S. last month following the successful negotiation by the Trump administration on April 10th.
She had been facing a potential 12-year sentence in Russia for allegedly donating $51 to a charity that supported Ukraine, which the Kremlin viewed as subversive.
Karelina was detained in January 2024 while visiting family in Yekaterinburg. As a dual American citizen, she donated to the Ukrainian Foundation just two days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A resident of Los Angeles indicated that she was accused of sending funds that were allegedly used to buy medical supplies and equipment for Ukrainian military purposes.
Upon her return, Karelina reunited with her fiancé, professional boxer Chris Van Harden, along with boxer Morgan Ortags and Trump’s deputy peace envoy to the Middle East.
Van Harden expressed his joy, stating, “I am thrilled to hear that my love, Xenia, is coming back from her illegal detention in Russia. She’s endured so much over these 15 months. I can’t wait to hold her, and our dog Boots is eagerly awaiting her return.”
Karelina arrived at Andrews Joint Base in Maryland, accompanied by Van Harden on April 10th, 2025.
An earlier mention suggested that Trump was alerted to Karelina’s situation by UFC President Dana White.
“They released a young ballerina, and she’s out now, which is excellent. We’re grateful for that,” Trump remarked on the day of her release.
Karelina was the second U.S. citizen exchanged from Russian custody under the Trump administration. In February, Pennsylvania teacher Mark Vogel was released after a 14-year sentence related to an incident involving legally prescribed marijuana.
The ballerina’s release was part of a swap for Arthur Petrov, a Russian dual citizen arrested in 2023 on charges of smuggling sensitive microelectronics to U.S. adversaries.
