US Senate Panel Approves Biden's Nominee For Ambassador To Russia - Spokesman

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th December, 2022) The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations voted on Wednesday to approve President Joe Biden's nominee, Lynne Tracy, to serve as US ambassador to Russia, communications Director Juan Pachon told Sputnik.

"It was approved out of the committee with a voice vote," Pachon said when asked about the nomination.

Following the committee's approval, the full chamber will vote to confirm Tracy to fill the position.

During her Senate confirmation hearing, Tracy said that she will make the plight of Americans detained in Russia a "top priority" during her service in Moscow.

Since March 2019, Tracy has served as US Ambassador to Armenia.

During her career in the Foreign Service, the diplomat has served in a number of US foreign missions, including in Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Between 2014 and 2017, Tracy served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Moscow and received a Distinguished Honor Award for her contribution while in this role.

Prior to her service at the Moscow embassy, Tracy was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Asia in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs between 2012 and 2014.

In September, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that Russia had agreed to the appointment of Tracy as the US ambassador to Moscow.