Top Republican pledges to 'do everything' he can to support arrested American ballerina Ksenia Karelina behind bars in Russia and slams Putin for using 'whatever means necessary' to 'silence dissent'

The top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said he is doing everything he can to find out more details regarding the arrest of Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina. 

Karelina, an American citizen, was arrested in January by Vladimir Putin's notorious Federal Security Service (FSB) on treason charges, officials confirmed Tuesday. 

Video posted by a Russian news outlet shows the 32-year-old ballerina being led into a courtroom blindfolded, though it's unclear when the video was recorded. 

'Reports of the recent arrest of Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina on charges of high treason are concerning,' Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch told DailyMail.com in an exclusive statement.

'Putin is so afraid of the Russian people knowing the truth about his brutal and unprovoked war against Ukraine that he is willing to use whatever means necessary to silence dissent,' the Idaho Republican said.

'I will do everything I can to ascertain the details of Ms. Karelina's arrest and ensure the United States supports her through this perilous time,' the senator continued.

A statement from Russian officials refers to Karelina as a resident of Los Angeles 

She is specifically accused of transferring $51.80 from an American bank account to Ukrainian charity, Razom

Vladimir Putin 's secret security force the FSB arrested dual Russian-American Ksenia Karelina, 32, on treason charges, officials confirmed Tuesday. She appeared in court blindfolded

Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, told DailyMail.com he is working to ascertain more information regarding Karelina's arrest 

The American ballerina is accused of treason in Russia for sending just $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity. She faces 20 years in prison. 

Karelina, who works at a spa in Beverly Hills, California, travelled to Russia to visit her family on January 2, according to her close friend and employer Isabella Koretz.

She was immediately arrested after landing in Moscow, 'interrogated for 13 hours' and placed in a freezing cold jail cell with two other women, Koretz exclusively told DailyMail.com.

‘She's not a politician, she's an aesthetician,’ said Koretz, 47, who runs Ciel Spa in Beverly Hills. ‘She’s just a super sweet person and wanted to help.'

‘She flew from Istanbul to Russia. And she was detained right upon arrival.'

‘They arrested her, they kept her there, interrogated her for like 13 hours. Then they let her go, but they were bringing her back and forth to jail.’

Koretz told DailyMail.com that after the Karelina did not return from her trip after two weeks, she learned that the ballerina was arrested. 

‘One of the final arrests before she was put in prison, they asked her to come out on a public square, saying they wanted to chat with her about something – then several agencies including the FSB arrested her publicly,’ the spa president said.

‘Every time she appears in front of the judge, the judge extends her sentence.'

Karelina is accused of fund raising for a pro-Ukrainian charity. She posted this picture when she was granted US citizenship in 2021

On her Facebook page, Karelina says that she's from Yekaterinburg, Russia, and that she studied ballet at the S. P. Diaghilev school

Treason charges can carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison

The White House is also scrambling to learn more of the Karelina's arrest. 

'We are trying to get more information and to secure some consular access to that individual,' White House spokesman John Kirby told DailyMail.com Tuesday in a briefing. 

He also warned any American citizen, including those with dual Russian citizenship, to leave the country immediately. 

'I want to reiterate our very strong warnings about the danger posed to U.S. citizens inside Russia. So if you're a U.S. citizen, including a dual nationals residing in or traveling in Russia, you ought to leave right now.' 

'Obviously it goes without saying if you're a U.S. citizen or you have a US.. passport, and you haven't traveled to Russia but you're considering going, obviously urging you not to do that,' he added.

The dancer is accused of 'proactively collecting funds since February 2022 in the interests of a Ukrainian organization, which were subsequently used to purchase tactical medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine,' the FSB alleges. 

'In addition, the citizen in question repeatedly took part in public actions in support of the Kyiv regime while in the United States,' the agency added, reports The Moscow Times. 

Karelina is the latest American behind bars in Russia, in addition to Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan and Texas dad David Barnes, 65, who last week was sentenced to 21 years in prison in Moscow on child abuse charges. 

On the same day that Karelina's arrest was announced, Gershkovich appeared in a Moscow court where he had his pre-trial detention extended.