US ambassador to Russia leaves post as Ukraine war drags on

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan, ended his tenure as America’s top diplomat in Moscow on Sunday after nearly three years, spanning the Trump and Biden administrations, and will retire from a lengthy career in government service. His departure comes in the midst of an increasingly serious crisis over Russia’s war in Ukraine as well as disputes over detained Americans in Russia. Sullivan had been expected to leave this fall as he reached the usual length of time for U.S. ambassadors. But it was sped up due to family medical issue, according to people familiar with the matter. Sullivan took over at the embassy at a particularly difficult time in U.S.-Russia relations, and they’ve only worsened.