US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan ended his tenure as the most senior US diplomat in Moscow on Sunday following nearly three years during the administrations of Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden. He will be retiring from a long career in government, the US embassy announced.
Sullivan’s departure comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its seventh month.
His career, which spanned four decades, included holding several positions, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and senior positions in the Ministries of Justice, Defense and Trade.
Elizabeth Rudd, deputy chief of mission to Russia, is set to become the highest-ranking US diplomat in Moscow until President Joe Biden appoints a successor to replace Sullivan.
On Saturday, Sullivan attended a farewell ceremony in Moscow for the late Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who died on Tuesday.
Sullivan’s departure comes at a time when US-Russian relations remain tense over Moscow’s war with Ukraine in February.
Following the war, the United States imposed a series of sanctions on Russia and provided billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine, turning it into a long-term support strategy in recent weeks.
In April 2021, Sullivan returned to the United States for consultations following officials in Moscow “indicated” that he was following the example of the Russian ambassador to Washington, who was recalled from the United States following Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “murderer.”
In December 2019, former US President Trump nominated Sullivan to become the US ambassador to Russia, and the Senate confirmed the nomination with strong, unorthodox bipartisan support.
Biden asked him to stay in office when he took office last year.
TRT Arabic – Agencies
