U.S. Ambassador To Russia Retires As Tensions Rise

Topline

U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan stepped down and left Moscow on Sunday after nearly three years in his post, the U.S. Embassy announced, as the diplomatic relationship between the two countries is more strained than it has been in decades.

Key Facts

Sullivan will retire after a four-decade long career during which he served under five U.S. presidents, according to the embassy’s statement.

Sullivan served as the deputy secretary of state under former President Donald Trump, who appointed Sullivan as the ambassador to Russia in December 2019.

One of Sullivan’s last engagements was the Saturday funeral for the Soviet Union’s final leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died last week.

What We Don’t Know

Sullivan’s successor. The embassy in Moscow said Deputy Chief of Mission Elizabeth Rood will take over as Charge d’Affaires until Sullivan’s replacement arrives, but didn’t specify who or when that would be. Ambassadors need to be confirmed by the Senate, where dozens of Biden-era diplomatic nominations remain backlogged.

Key Background

Sullivan steps down as tensions between the U.S. and Russia mount due to the war in Ukraine. After Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, the U.S. and other allies launched sanctions against Russian officials and businesses to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into pulling back. The U.S. alone has frozen more than $30 billion worth of sanctioned Russians’ assets, the Justice Department said in June. Last month, Putin accused the U.S. of prolonging the conflict in Ukraine. The United States is also trying to negotiate the release of several Americans detained in Russia, including WNBA star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan.

Further Reading

U.S. And Allies Have Frozen $30 Billion Of Sanctioned Russians’ Assets, DOJ Says (Forbes)