United States’ Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy has stepped down from her post, the U.S. Embassy in Russia announced on Thursday, June 12.
The embassy said Ambassador Tracy is “concluding her mission at the U.S. Embassy in Russia,” without providing further details.
A live stream has been scheduled for June 13 to “bid farewell” to the outgoing envoy.
“Join our special live stream tomorrow, June 13, at 6:30 p.m. Moscow time to bid farewell to Ambassador Lynne Tracy, who will soon conclude her mission at the US Embassy in the Russian Federation,” read the statement from the Embassy.
Ambassador Tracy is a senior American diplomat who has served at U.S. diplomatic missions in Russia, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Tracy assumed the role in January 2023, replacing John Sullivan, after being nominated by former President Joe Biden.
US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy Steps Down
She is concluding her mission after approximately two years in office, a duration similar to that of her predecessor. It is not immediately clear who will replace her.
Her term was dominated by the Ukraine war, which plunged U.S.-Russia ties to a level described by the Kremlin last year as “below zero”.
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Tracy’s departure comes just months after Alexander Darchiyev took over as Russia’s new ambassador to the United States, succeeding Anatoly Antonov, who stepped down and returned to Moscow in October last year.
Meanwhile, efforts to mend the strained relationship between Washington and Moscow have gained momentum in recent months.
The Donald Trump administration has taken steps to repair ties that had reached an all-time low following the war in Ukraine.
Since Trump returned to the White House in January, Russia and the US have launched a series of contacts aimed at improving relations.
During a recent meeting with former President Donald Trump, Darchiyev expressed optimism, stating that the Russian Embassy in Washington would “do everything to restore Russian-American relations, returning them to normalcy and common sense.”
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Lynne Tracy Tenure as a Diplomat
Tracy led the U.S. mission in Russia in one of the lowest points of the U.S.-Russian relationship in decades, as Washington imposed massive sanctions on Moscow and backed Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Though diplomatic contacts during this period were limited, Tracy played a key role in negotiating the release of U.S. citizens held in Russia, such as Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Ambassador Tracy is a senior American diplomat who has served at U.S. diplomatic missions in Russia, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Before that, she was the Senior Advisor for Russia Affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 2017 to 2018, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia, from 2014 to 2017.
For her service, Ms. Tracy has been honored with the Secretary’s Award for Heroism and the Department’s Distinguished Honor Award.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Soviet Studies from the University of Georgia and a Juris Doctor from the University of Akron.
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