U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the course of her confirmation listening to to be the up coming ambassador to Russia in the Dirksen Senate Office Creating on Capitol Hill on November 30, 2022 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Photographs
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Lynne Tracy as President Joe Biden’s nominee to be ambassador to Russia, hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was to give a scarce wartime deal with to a joint meeting of Congress.
Tracy, a occupation diplomat and present-day ambassador to Armenia, will be the to start with lady to serve as U.S. ambassador to Russia. It was not instantly apparent when she will suppose the post, simply because Russia ought to concur to acknowledge her.
“The United States requires an ambassador to depict us in Moscow,” reported Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, noting that it was the 300th day of the Russian war on Ukraine as he urged aid for Tracy.
Tracy was confirmed by an too much to handle 93-2. The two no votes came from Republican Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee.
Washington has been sending a continuous supply of weapons and financial support to Zelenskyy’s govt as Ukraine fights Russian troops.
Biden declared Tracy’s nomination in September, weeks right after the departure of John Sullivan, who had been appointed by previous Republican President Donald Trump and was ambassador as Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine plunged relations to depths not viewed considering that the Chilly War.
A Russian speaker, Tracy served as deputy main of mission in Moscow from 2014 to 2017.
Russia last week questioned Tracy’s suitability, suggesting she may truly feel far more at residence at a hardline imagine tank. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated remarks by Tracy in the media and to the foreign relations committee confirmed that she noticed tighter sanctions towards Moscow as the way forward in bilateral relations. She stated Tracy experienced also observed the have to have for contacts with the opposition and civil modern society.
Moscow has an ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov.
