Moscow ( Europe Brief News): US Ambassador Lynne Tracy departs Moscow as President Trump’s push for US-Russia rapprochement falters, leaving Washington without top-level representation.
Earlier this week, Moscow charged that Washington, hampered by years of tit-for-tat restrictions and diplomatic expulsions, was not “ready” to take action to resume the regular operation of their embassies.
Tracy, the first woman to occupy the position, was chosen by former President Joe Biden and is leaving after two and a half years, although Trump has not yet nominated a replacement.
By making multiple calls to the head of the Kremlin and bringing up the possibility of strengthening bilateral ties, Trump has changed Biden’s strategy of isolating Vladimir Putin over his offensive in Ukraine.
“I am proud to have represented my country in Moscow during such a challenging time,”
Tracy said in a message posted by the embassy on social media.
She also cited passages from a poem by Russia’s well-known national poet, Alexander Pushkin.
Under Trump, the two nations’ diplomats have engaged in multiple rounds of talks on topics ranging from restoring embassy operations to the Ukraine crisis and prisoner exchanges.
However, the Kremlin charged Wednesday that Washington was “not yet ready” to remove obstacles to their respective diplomatic teams’ operations.
Trump’s annoyance with Putin has grown as he has refused to stop Moscow’s three-year war against Ukraine.
Putin has accelerated fatal missile and drone strikes on Ukraine, demanded Kyiv give up more territory, urged his troops to keep moving forward, and repeatedly refused pleas for an unconditional truce since the Republican came to the White House.
What does the departure of the US ambassador suggest about US-Russia relations now?
Lynne Tracy’s resignation as US ambassador to Russia marks the beginning of a precarious and unpredictable period in US-Russian ties. President Donald Trump’s recent rapprochement-focused diplomatic initiatives, such as talks on Ukraine, prisoner exchanges, and embassy operations, have stalled, and Moscow has accused Washington of not being prepared to fully resume normal diplomatic activities.
Tracy’s departure, which reflects persistent tensions heightened by Russia’s ongoing military offensive in Ukraine and disputes over diplomatic assets and direct flights, leaves the US without a top representative in Moscow at a delicate moment.
The current diplomatic deadlock is further highlighted by the lack of a designated successor.
