The Trump administration and Russia carried out a prisoner exchange early on Thursday that freed dual citizen Ksenia Karelina in exchange for German-Russian national Arthur Petrov.

The Details: The swap took place in Abu Dhabi and came as U.S. and Russian officials met in Istanbul to discuss improving diplomatic relations. According to The Wall Street Journal (Center bias), CIA Director John Ratcliffe and a senior Russian intelligence official set up the swap, and Ratcliffe was present in Abu Dhabi for the exchange. 

For Context: Karelina was arrested in January 2024 while visiting family in Yekaterinburg and was sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony in August. She was convicted of treason for donating around $50 to a U.S.-based charity that supported Ukraine. Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 on smuggling, fraud, and money laundering charges as the U.S. Department of Justice alleged he was illegally exporting microelectronics with sensitive information to Russia. In February, the Trump administration secured the release of former diplomat and teacher Marc Fogel.

Key Quote: A CIA spokeswoman told The Journal, “The exchange shows the importance of keeping lines of communication open with Russia… While we are disappointed that other Americans remain wrongfully detained in Russia, we see this exchange as a positive step and will continue to work for their release.”

How The Media Covered It: Several outlets from the center and right highlighted the improving Russia-U.S. relationship. The Wall Street Journal called the swap “a sign of continuing confidence building.” Euronews (Center) wrote that relations are “thawing.”

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