First female US ambassador to Russia to leave her role
Lynne Tracy, who has been based in Moscow, said she is "proud to have represented my country" in the Russian capital "during such a challenging time".
There is no suggestion she has been removed from her role by the Trump administration.
The departure of the career diplomat appointed by former president Joe Biden comes as Russia and the United States discuss a potential reset in their ties, which sharply deteriorated after Moscow launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022.
President Donald Trump has said there are potentially big investment deals to be struck, but is growing increasingly frustrated that his efforts to broker a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine have so far not resulted in a meaningful ceasefire.
In a statement shared by the US embassy in Russia on Telegram, Ms Tracy said: "As I leave Russia, I know that my colleagues at the embassy will continue to work to improve our relations and maintain ties with the Russian people.
"I have been inspired by my meetings with Russians who love their country and work every day for a better future. I would like to conclude with lines from Pushkin's poem 'To Chaadayev', which speak of the love for the Motherland that lives in each of us. Goodbye!"
The embassy said it wanted to "express our gratitude for her contributions based on consistent diplomacy, deep respect for Russian culture, and dedicated service to the American people".
In a statement earlier this month, the embassy said Ms Tracy, who arrived in Moscow in January 2023 and was greeted by protesters chanting anti-US slogans when she went to the foreign ministry to present her credentials, would leave her post soon.
She was notably involved in efforts to win the release of US citizens jailed in Russia, including journalist Evan Gershkovich and former marine Paul Whelan, who were eventually freed in August 2024 as part of a big East-West prisoner swap.
Ms Tracy, who took over from John Sullivan, had previously served as the second-highest official at the US Embassy in Moscow, the deputy chief of mission, from 2014 to 2017.
She was the ambassador to Armenia at the time she was nominated to replace Mr Sullivan after he retired.
Ms Tracy, who speaks Russian, had also worked at US diplomatic outposts including Turkmenistan, Pakistan and Kazakhstan. She majored in Soviet Studies and holds a law degree.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
a few seconds ago
- Reuters
Exclusive: DOJ blocks use of justice grants for legal aid to migrants in US illegally, email shows
WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department this week ordered states, local governments and non-profits not to use existing federal grant funds to provide legal services to immigrants in the country illegally or who could face deportation, according to an email seen by Reuters and interviews with grantees. The department's Office of Justice Programs issued that order in a Monday email to grantees, the same day that 21 Democratic-led states sued the DOJ for trying to impose conditions on upcoming fiscal year 2025 crime victim grant recipients, which would require them to cooperate with federal immigration authorities to be eligible to receive the funds. That lawsuit challenges conditions that the DOJ is trying to impose on future grant awards, while the new spending restrictions apply retroactively to a variety of grants that were awarded during Democratic President Joe Biden's tenure, including grants that combat human-trafficking and to assist and compensate victims of crime, grantees familiar with the notices told Reuters. In the email, the Justice Department says that no DOJ grant money may be used to pay for "legal services to any removable alien or any alien otherwise unlawfully present in the United States." It carves out exceptions for legal services related to obtaining protection orders for victims, or certain immigration legal services that are required by law or by a court order. Reuters could not immediately determine how many grants were affected by the new restrictions. A Justice Department spokesperson did not have any immediate comment on the new restrictions. The effort by Republican President Donald Trump's administration to impose new spending restrictions on existing grants could spark lawsuits, legal experts said. "As a general legal proposition, when a grant or any other provision has been made pursuant to either a congressional authorization or a contract ... it is not allowable to retroactively -- unless agreed upon by those involved -- change their terms," said Abbe Lowell, a prominent defense attorney. "If they are unilaterally imposing retroactive conditions on that which doesn't exist, then it's challengeable." The restrictions impose significant challenges on victim services providers, who generally assist victims of crime without asking for their immigration status. By law, federal grant recipients are not allowed to discriminate against people on the basis of race, national origin or other protected classes. In addition, federal regulations adopted in 2016 expressly state that victim eligibility for direct services funded by the Justice Department's VOCA Assistance Program, which is paid for by fines and penalties collected from convicted federal felons, is "not dependent on the victim's immigration status." Hema Sarang-Sieminski, the executive director of Jane Doe, the Massachusetts coalition of direct service providers who assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking, said the spending restrictions could have a chilling effect on immigrants, many of whom are already afraid to report crimes to law enforcement. A survey released in June by the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors found that 76% of advocates reported that immigrants have concerns about contacting the police to report domestic violence and sexual assault. Sarang-Sieminski added that some of her coalition's members are also worried that the Justice Department could try to claw back funds that were already spent, or create ethical dilemmas for attorneys. "The fear of the impact on programs is huge," she said. Jean Bruggeman, executive director for Freedom Network USA, which works to help human-trafficking victims, said this could pose a complication for service providers who help victims sue their traffickers for damages and lost wages, or for groups who help victims try to navigate the legal process when traffickers are indicted for their crimes. "When we agree to grant terms, we are bound by the solicitation language," she said. "I anticipate litigation on this issue." This marks the second time that the Justice Department has targeted grants awarded during Biden's time in office. In April, it terminated 365 grants valued at $811 million, claiming they were wasteful and not aligned with Trump administration priorities.
The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ant smuggling into the US is out of control since Trump's cuts – and it could have dire impacts on the country
The smuggling of ants and other insects in the U.S. could be on the rise due to recent cuts to the USDA under the Trump administration, a new report says. The Department of Government Efficiency, the agency once led by billionaire Elon Musk, issued widespread layoffs and buyouts to federal employees this spring. This impacted several members of the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which helps restrict the smuggling of invertebrates like ants, Wired reports. While some of those staff were later rehired, other positions have remained vacant, according to the outlet. These cuts have alarmed experts, and sources familiar with the industry say ant smugglers have been emboldened by the recent cuts under the Trump administration, according to Wired. 'It's getting out of hand,' one ant seller said. 'They realize the U.S. market is a gold mine.' Some members of the ant-selling community also told Wired that the process to sell ants legally has become harder, which in turn is contributing to an uptick in illegal sales. 'Smuggling ants hasn't gotten easier from the cuts to federal services, trading ants across state borders legally has gotten harder,' one former black market ant seller told Wired. This could pose a problem because invasive ants can have devastating impacts on the environment. In Florida, millions of tawny crazy ants — an invasive species from South America — are forming super colonies and driving out local wildlife, the Herald-Tribune reports. The ants are also invading residents' homes and damaging electrical equipment. Areas of the southeast U.S. also saw an increase in invasive Asian needle ants this summer. The venomous species has been found in the U.S. for 90 years, but its population exploded recently. A single sting can send someone to the hospital with life-threatening symptoms. Some experts say they're concerned about cuts to infrastructure that detects and prevents invasive species. 'There's been a lot of cutting of the inspectors as part of the quote-unquote 'efficiency' moves from the government recently,' Chris Stelzig, executive director of the Entomological Society of America, told Wired. 'A reduced infrastructure to detect invasive species can be problematic.' However, this isn't an entirely new problem. Retired USDA entomologist Carlos Blanco told Wired there were enforcement problems even before the DOGE cuts, too. Armando Rosario-Lebrón, the former co-chair of the Federal Interagency Committee on Invasive Terrestrial Animals and Pathogens, told Wired that the 'illegal market rapidly has become much more aggressive because of the lack of enforcement.' 'The invasiveness potential is off the charts,' he added. 'It's just ridiculous.' USDA spokesperson Heather Curlett told Wired that the agency has the 'same number of entomology staff within the pest permitting unit as we did before' and that the agency's enforcement of federal plant pest regulations 'has not changed or diminished.' 'We work to address all instances of noncompliance both from permit holders who fail to follow the terms and conditions of their permits and those who move plant pests without obtaining the proper permits,' Curlett added.
The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
Zelensky condemns ‘indecent' Russian attack as American-owned Ukraine factory is hit
Ukraine said a Russian drone and missile attack on its western territory, hitting targets including an American-owned electronics plant, showed Vladimir Putin is trying to avoid peace talks. The aerial assault was one of Russia's biggest this year and came amid Moscow's objections to key aspects of proposals that could end the war it started in February 2022. Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, saying it was carried out 'as if nothing were changing at all.' 'The signals from Russia are simply, to be honest, indecent,' he told Ukrainians in his nightly presidential address. A US electronics plant near the Hungarian border was struck, according to Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine. The Flex factory is one of the biggest American investments in Ukraine. At the moment of impact, 600 night shift workers were on the premises, and six were injured, Mr Hunder added. Russian attacks on Ukraine since it launched its invasion have damaged property belonging to more than half of the chamber's roughly 600 members, he said. 'The message is clear: Russia is not looking for peace. Russia is attacking American business in Ukraine, humiliating American business,' Mr Hunder said. Russia's defence ministry said the strikes targeted 'enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex'. It claimed the attack hit drone factories, storage depots and missile launch sites, as well as areas where Ukrainian troops were gathered. Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilian areas of Ukraine. In Lviv, one person was killed and three were injured as the attack damaged 26 residential buildings, a nursery school and administrative buildings, regional head Maksym Kozytskyi wrote on Telegram. The regional prosecutor's office said three Russian cruise missiles with cluster munitions struck the city. Moscow has shown no signs of pursuing meaningful negotiations to end the war, Mr Zelensky said. He urged the international community to respond with stronger pressure on Moscow, including tougher sanctions and tariffs. Plans for security guarantees will become clearer by the end of next week, Mr Zelensky said, by which time he expects to be ready to hold direct talks with Mr Putin for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion. Donald Trump discussed the war with Putin in Alaska last week before hosting Mr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House on Monday. Mr Trump questioned Mr Putin's commitment to ending the war, saying the Russian leader 'talks nice and then he bombs everybody'. Russia has fired nearly 1,000 long-range drones and missiles at Ukraine since Monday's White House talks, according to Ukrainian tallies. European countries are discussing how they can deploy military assets to deter any post-war Russian assault on Ukraine, but the Kremlin will not accept the deployment of any troops from Nato countries, and foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that making security arrangements for Ukraine without Moscow's involvement was pointless. Mr Putin is ready to meet with Mr Zelensky to discuss peace terms, Mr Lavrov said on Thursday, but only after key issues have been worked out by senior officials in what could be a protracted negotiating process because the two sides remain far apart. US secretary of state Marco Rubio plans to host a conference call on Thursday with the national security advisers of European countries expected to play a role in future security guarantees for Ukraine, a senior US official said. Military leaders from Ukraine, the US, the UK, Finland, France, Germany and Italy met on Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington to work out military options, said Joseph Holstead, a spokesman for the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.
