The News
Moscow has released Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American citizen arrested for donating $50 to a US-based Ukraine charity, as part of a prisoner exchange deal with the US.
In exchange, Washington freed Arthur Petrov, who had been arrested for allegedly skirting sanctions to smuggle microelectronics to Russia.
The swap took place in Abu Dhabi Thursday, as Russian and US teams met in Istanbul to discuss improving high-level diplomatic ties between the two countries: Under US President Donald Trump, Washington has softened its approach to Moscow in what some analysts believe could lead to a broader normalization of relations that might see Washington’s European allies sidelined.
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