Biden taps Lynne Tracy for new US envoy to Russia

WASHINGTON

President Joe Biden nominated career Foreign Service officer Lynne Tracy on Tuesday to be the new US ambassador to Russia.

Tracy currently serves as Washington's envoy to Armenia and had previous stints as the State Department's senior advisor for Russia and was the deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Moscow. ​​​​​​​Additional overseas assignments included Turkmenistan, Pakistan and Kazakhstan, the White House said in a statement.

Tracy is a recipient of the State Department's Distinguished Honor Award, the Secretary of State's Award for Heroism and a Presidential Meritorious Service Award.

As with all ambassadorial nominees, Tracy will have to receive Senate confirmation before she assumes her post.

Should she receive the chamber's sign-off, Tracy will be entering the role at a time of extremely heightened tensions amid Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. The US has led its international partners in the West and beyond in seeking to apply diplomatic and economic pressure on the Kremlin while arming Kyiv to defend against the assault.

The war is now well into its seventh month with no signs of an end in sight.