Abu Dhabi (TDI): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has confirmed the successful facilitation of a prisoner exchange between the United States of America and the Russian Federation.
During the exchange, Moscow released US-Russian national Ksenia Karelina and Washington freed German-Russian businessman Arthur Petrov under the supervision of representatives from the relevant authorities of both countries.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and lawyer of Karelina confirmed on Thursday that the former ballet dancer is released, who was charged by Russia with treason.
American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States.
She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year and President Trump secured her release. @POTUS will continue to work for the release of ALL Americans.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 10, 2025
On the other hand, the US released Petrov, who was charged with illegally smuggling microelectronics related to military, to Russia.
Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 and was sent to the US, where he was also charged with fraud and money laundering.
The Ministry acknowledged the cooperation between the United States and the Russian Federation, and expressed appreciation for both governments for the trust they put in the UAE to coordinate the exchange.
According to the statement released by the Ministry, decision to conduct the exchange in Abu Dhabi reflects a shared confidence in the UAE’s ability to assist in such sensitive diplomatic matters.
The Ministry further noted that the coordination and completion of the exchange were carried out in direct collaboration with officials from both the US and Russia. The process was managed in line with established diplomatic protocols and international cooperation practices.
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Highlighting the broader context, the Ministry stated that the facilitation of this exchange reflects the UAE’s approach to supporting dialogue and mutual cooperation among countries.
The statement also expressed hope that this event may contribute to efforts aimed at reducing tensions and strengthening communication on an international level.
The Ministry concluded by reiterating the UAE’s readiness to support initiatives that encourage peaceful resolution of issues and maintain regional and global stability.
Areeba Kanwal is a contributor at The Diplomatic Insight and has passion for International Relations and diplomacy.
