President Joe Biden is preparing to nominate Lynne Tracy, a career diplomat with years of experience in Russia and the region, as the next U.S. ambassador to Russia, according to reports.
A Russian speaker, Tracy was the No. 2 diplomat in Moscow between 2014 and 2017 and is the current U.S. ambassador to Armenia.
CNN reported the news of Biden’s pick on Wednesday, citing three sources familiar with the selection.
Tracy was a senior adviser for Russian affairs at the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs before heading to Yerevan. Russia and Armenia are close allies.
The White House declined to comment.
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The process is already underway.
It is customary for a host country to approve the choice of ambassador before he or she is formally nominated. The Biden administration has already shared Tracy’s name with Moscow, two sources told CNN. As soon as Russia signs off, Tracy’s nomination will be submitted to the Senate for approval.
Washington informed Russia of its choice several weeks ago, but Moscow has not yet given its approval, according to the Associated Press.
Tracy will replace John Sullivan, who stepped down this month after his wife died.
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Her appointment comes at a time of escalated tension between the United States and Russia, with the war in Ukraine underway alongside negotiations over detained Americans.
