February 14 marked two years since U.S. citizen Michael Calvey was arrested and criminally charged over what is clearly a private business dispute. Today, February 17, Mr. Calvey was allowed to give his testimony in court. We hope this will be a fair and transparent judicial process that concludes with justice for Mr. Calvey. The …
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U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, John J. Sullivan Moscow City Court, February 3, 2021 – Appeal hearing of U.S. citizen Trevor Reed Ambassador Sullivan: Well, good afternoon, everyone. I’m John Sullivan, the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation. I have been here today to attend the court proceeding, the appellate proceeding, for Trevor Reed, …
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AMBASSADOR SULLIVAN’S INTERVIEW WITH TV DOZHD (TV RAIN) JANUARY 28, 2021 Ekaterina Kotrikadze (Dozhd): <speaking in Russian>. Ambassador Sullivan, thank you, hi. Ambassador Sullivan: Hello, Ekaterina. It’s very good to be with you today. Dozhd: Thank you so much for doing this, and good to be with you. So my first question would be, of …
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January 27, 2021 On the 77th anniversary of the lifting of the Siege of Leningrad, we honor the memory of the brave citizens and defenders of the City of Leningrad who endured and fought during one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history. Our wreath-laying today respects their humanity and bravery amidst unprecedented …
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“The violent and criminal assault on the U.S. Capitol during the recent proceedings to certify the results of the presidential election and the victory of President-elect Biden, is a grave reminder of how important it is to value and safeguard the essential elements of our republic that are enshrined in our Constitution, including the right …
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Ambassador John J. Sullivan interview with Konstantin Remchukov, Editor-in-Chief, Nezavisimaya Gazeta December 18, 2020 NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA: I’m going to be brief in my questions, to give you some time to you to respond. And I will start with the news of the last days: cyber attacks allegedly conducted by Russians on major infrastructure, objects, and networks in America. And I read and …
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“We all must continue to strive for global respect for the inalienable rights belonging to all individuals, regardless of their race, gender, sexual identity, disability, or any other characteristic. Over the course of my career, I have seen the progress that can be made when nations invest in the protection of human rights of all …
Read More» Transcript Friday, October 23, 2020 Mr. Konstantin Remchukov, Editor-in-Chief, Nezavisimaya Gazeta NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA: So, Mr. Ambassador, as you mentioned, the time for the last months was unusual, so many frustration for people, so many bad news. And culture has always been a good retreat for people to boost up their energy, morale, spirits, and everything. …
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AMBASSADOR JOHN SULLIVAN WITH INTERFAX NEWS AGENCY Transcript Tuesday, September 29, 2020 Interfax representatives: Renat Abdullin, Deputy Director General Margarita Velekhova, Foreign Desk Correspondent INTERFAX: It seems that the U.S.-Russia dialogue on strategic stability and arms control has reached a stalemate. Russia has described the proposals voiced by U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control …
Read More» September 24, 2020 Today I visited U.S. citizen Trevor Reed at Vodnik prison, following my visit to him last month. As the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, the health, welfare, and treatment of U.S. citizens are my top priorities. I remain concerned by the treatment of some of my fellow citizens held by Russian authorities. I …
Read More» September 22, 2020 Today I had the opportunity to visit IK-17, a Russian penal colony in Mordovia where U.S. citizen Paul Whelan is being held. Mordovia is about an 8-hour drive outside of Moscow but it is almost five thousand miles from Michigan, where Paul ought to be – at home, with his family. Paul …
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“Today, as we remember the victims of terrorism and share the grief of their families and friends, the United States of America pledges to work with all willing partners to ensure that these global threats are defeated, so we can build a better world that brings security, liberty, prosperity, and justice to all.”
Read More» Today, U. S. citizen Trevor Reed was convicted in a Russian court following a trial in which the prosecution’s case and the evidence presented against Mr. Reed were so preposterous that they provoked laughter in the courtroom. Even the judge laughed. This conviction, and a sentence of nine years, for an alleged crime that so …
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On Friday, July 17, our country lost a civil rights icon, Representative John Lewis, following a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer. When he was diagnosed with the disease, John Lewis took it in stride, stating that he had been in some kind of fight – for freedom, equality, and basic human rights – for nearly …
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Ambassador John J. Sullivan’s Interview with RBC TV Broadcast on July 3, 2020 RBC: Ambassador, thank you very much for giving us this opportunity to speak with you again. First question: the biggest challenge of the year is coronavirus. In Russia we have an expression – друг познаётся в беде, a friend in need is …
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“June is Pride Month. LGBTI rights are human rights, and human rights are universal.”
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Ambassador Sullivan: Good morning everyone. I’m disappointed, crestfallen, outraged at what I’ve just heard. An American citizen, who’s also a citizen of three other countries – the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland – has been sentenced to 16 years, so I’m told. There was a judgement that was read by a judge – a three-judge …
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Ambassador Sullivan: “Today, on the final day of the holy month of Ramadan, I would like to wish Muslims across Russia and around the world a blessed Eid al-Fitr.”
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May 21, 2020 Today, the U.S. donated 50 life-saving ventilators to the Russian people. This $5.6 million humanitarian aid donation will eventually include a total of 200 U.S.-produced ventilators to save lives in Russia. Through the generosity of the American people and private industry innovation, the United States is providing critical medical supplies and ventilators …
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Ambassador Sullivan and Brig. Gen. Harmon: “Today, on this 75th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe, let us pause to honor the service of so many of our family members, friends, allies, and partners who sacrificed so much for the cause of freedom.”
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Ambassador Sullivan on the continued detention of U.S. citizen Paul Whelan.
Read More» AS DELIVERED REMARKS Ambassador Sullivan’s Roundtable with Journalists – via telephone Wednesday, April 22, 2020 Ambassador Sullivan: Thank you for taking the time to join me on this call today. I hope you are all well, and I’m looking forward to doing a roundtable in person sometime soon. But this is the next best …
Read More» Today is April 20, a very important day in my hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, as well as in several other states. The third Monday in April is called “Patriots’ Day” because it commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775 in Lexington, Concord, and Menotomy (now called Arlington), Massachusetts. The City of Boston …
Read More» Good morning, thank you for being here. My name is John Sullivan, I am the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation. I came here to the courthouse today to try to get into the hearing that is going to be held any moment. I tried last week and was not admitted. I tried again today, and did not …
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Ambassador Sullivan: “May you have an Easter filled with hope and joy.”
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Ambassador Sullivan: The end of World War II in Europe and the defeat of Nazism and fascism that it represents are important events that can never be forgotten, and we fully support Russia’s decision to reschedule these commemorations to a time when we are all able celebrate them properly.
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It is during challenging times like these that we must not lose sight of what is fundamentally important. As the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, my highest priority is the security and well-being of all U.S. citizens in this country. This includes Paul Whelan, a U.S. citizen who has been unjustly imprisoned for nearly 16 months …
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Ambassador Sullivan: “The Mission Russia team has been working day and night to facilitate a charter flight for U.S. citizens & LPRs so they can return to the U.S. I’m pleased that the flight successfully departed Moscow this morning to help these travelers start their journey home.”
Read More» March 23, 2020 Good morning. I am very grateful for your being here today. I am joined by my colleagues, the Ambassador from the United Kingdom, Ambassador Bronnert, and the Ambassador from Ireland, Ambassador McElduff. As the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, the security and well-being of American citizens is my highest priority. We are here …
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Spaso House February 7, 2020 RBC: How would you assess your appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Russia? Does it mean that the pressure on Russia will increase or is your mission to soften the situation? Ambassador Sullivan: Thank you, Ilya, it’s a great pleasure to be with you here today and talk about my appointment …
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As part of his continuing series of introductory meetings, Ambassador John Sullivan met today with Chairman of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation Aleksey Kudrin. Ambassador Sullivan and Chairman Kudrin discussed bilateral economic cooperation, and the business climate and investment climate in Russia for U.S. investors. Ambassador Sullivan looks forward to supporting open channels …
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Media Note February 5, 2020 U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation John J. Sullivan presented his credentials today to President Putin in a ceremony held in the Kremlin’s Alexander Hall. “As the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, I have been tasked by President Trump to improve our bilateral relationship and open channels of communication. I …
Read More» As part of his continuing series of introductory meetings, Ambassador John Sullivan met February 4, 2020 with Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev to discuss the importance of bilateral cooperation in various spheres, including strategic security. Ambassador Sullivan looks forward to supporting open channels of communication with representatives of the …
Read More» As part of his continuing series of introductory meetings, Ambassador John Sullivan met today with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Ambassador Sullivan has met Foreign Minister Lavrov previously on several occasions. Today’s constructive meeting continued an on-going dialogue between the two diplomats on bilateral and multilateral issues including counterterrorism, the Middle East and arms control.
Read More» January 29, 2020 As part of his introductory calls with Russian officials, Ambassador John Sullivan met today with Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov to discuss a variety of issues including counter-terrorism. The meeting was cooperative and informative, and Ambassador Sullivan looks forward to continued dialogue with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the …
Read More» Ambassador John Sullivan met today with Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov to discuss a variety of issues related to North Africa and the Middle East as part of his introductory calls with Russian officials. The meeting was candid and constructive, and Ambassador Sullivan looks forward to continued dialogue with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign …
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“I stand before you today to underscore the United States’ unwavering commitment to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and doing everything possible to prevent anything like it from happening ever again.”
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On January 10, 2020, at a ceremony presided over by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Samuel Alito swore in John J. Sullivan as the new U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation. Friday’s ceremonial event followed the Ambassador’s official swearing in by the Secretary of State on December 23, 2019.
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U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Valeriy Gerasimov met in Moscow today to discuss security issues, including Syria, the Middle East, arms control, military transparency, and the broader U.S. – Russia relationship. There was also discussion on ways to …
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Ambassador Jon Huntsman met March 12 with Federation Council Chair Valentina Matviyenko. Building on the productive conversations between the Congressional delegation that visited last year and Federation Council representatives, Ambassador Huntsman reiterated the desire of the American government to work together with Russia to facilitate inter-parliamentary cooperation, and raised issues which present opportunities for and obstacles …
Read More» The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed in 1987, prohibits the United States and Russia from possessing ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 KM. In the early years of this historic treaty, both sides collectively destroyed more than 2,600 missiles.
Read More» Ambassador Jon Huntsman Remarks at Media Roundtable Vladivostok April 24, 2018 Ambassador Huntsman: I am delighted to be in Vladivostok in the Russian Far East. It is my first visit to Vladivostok. I have lived south of here in China, and I’ve lived in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, so I’m familiar with the broader East …
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April 14, 2018 I’m Jon Huntsman, United States Ambassador to Russia. Amid everything that has happened in recent days, I wanted to be sure that you heard directly why the United States and others have resolved to take the actions that we have in Syria. As the President said, the chemical weapons attack by the …
Read More» March 27, 2018 Spaso House Q. Dear Ambassador, thank you so much, it’s a great pleasure. AMB: The honor is mine, thank you. Q. First of all, I would like to look at the timeline of events. President Trump congratulates Vladimir Putin with his re-election, despite the advice to the contrary from his policy advisors. …
Read More» Ambassador Huntsman: First of all, let me express very deep and profound condolences to the families who lost children and loved ones in this horrible shopping mall incident in Siberia. My heart just weeps every time I hear an update on the number of people killed, and I just wanted to express that first and …
Read More» Ambassador: Good morning Alexey. It’s a great pleasure to be with you in the studio. Venediktov: Of course, today’s event, Mr. Ambassador, is the publication of the so-called “Kremlin report” of the US executive power to the US Congress, and a separate list that was published. Could you tell our listeners what status this report …
Read More» Ambassador Huntsman on the Naming of Media Organizations as Foreign Agents in Russia: “We are very concerned about this recent move by the Russian government under the banner of the Foreign Agent Law. We’ve seen what this has done to civil society and non-governmental organizations by way of harassment, lawsuits, and effectively putting people out …
Read More» Shortly after his arrival to Russia in October, U.S. Ambassador Huntsman prioritized visits to cities where we actively support U.S. citizens and U.S. business interests and where we hope in the very near future to be able to renew consular operations. He was very pleased with his November visits to Yekaterinburg and St. Petersburg where …
Read More» U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., visited RFE/RL’s Moscow office on Friday, November 17. At the end of the visit, he gave the following comment to RFE/RL and answered a question by VOA: Comment: I’m here for a specific reason as the United States Ambassador. I’m here because we as Americans believe that …
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THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 6, 2017 Readout of President Donald J. Trump’s Meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr. President Donald J. Trump met with U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr., and his wife, Mary Kaye Huntsman, to wish them well as they return …
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U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. presented his credentials today to President Putin in a ceremony held in the Kremlin’s Alexander Hall. “As the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, I look forward to working to rebuild trust between our two countries and to strengthening the bilateral relationship based on cooperation on …
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We asked our social media followers what would they ask Ambassador Tefft if given the opportunity. The Ambassador is responding to select questions in video form, which we’ll publish here as they become available. 1. Ambassador Tefft: “We had hoped for more from the Russian government.” 2. U.S. Ambassador John Tefft on Russia, Crimea and …
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Ambassador Tefft in an Interview with TASS Russian News Agency – Mr. Ambassador, as you told us already, you are going to leave in September and what do you think is your main achievement as Ambassador? – Well, I don’t know about achievements. I have a bunch of disappointments, as you’d imagine, in the bilateral relationship. But you know, we try very hard at …
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Izborsk May 30, 2017 While much of today’s discussion will focus on the energy sector, I would first like to broaden the aperture a bit to cover the importance of trade and investment in any bilateral relationship. As this conference is dedicated to Fort Ross, we should remind ourselves that the Fort itself was originally …
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Welcome Address by Ambassador Tefft at the International Fort Ross Dialogue Conference Opening Session. Towards each other: Russian trailblazers and American Pioneers Welcome Address by Ambassador John F. Tefft May 29, 2017 Good morning. I am honored to be with you here today to open the International Fort Ross Dialogue. First of …
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May 28, 2017 U.S. Ambassador John F. Tefft will take part in the International Fort Ross Dialogue May 29-30 in Pskov and Izborsk. The conference will facilitate conversation and collaboration between Americans and Russians. Ambassador Tefft’s participation in this forum demonstrates the United States’ long tradition of support for intercultural exchange between the people of our two countries.
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U.S. Ambassador John Tefft and his wife Mrs. Mariella Tefft today visited Mission Control Center Moscow (TsUP) to observe the successful launch of the Soyuz 50S/MS-04 spacecraft with U.S. astronaut Jack Fischer and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin to the International Space Station. After the launch, Ambassador Tefft congratulated Mr. Oleg Gorshkov, General Director of the …
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Good morning distinguished heads of state, officials, ladies and gentlemen. I want to thank the Russian State Commission on the Arctic for organizing this conference and for inviting me to address you as the United States representative. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak to you about one of the great challenges of …
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Two years ago Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was assassinated on this bridge, just outside the Kremlin. I am here today with my Deputy and my staff along with my diplomatic colleagues representing the President and people of the United States to honor the memory of Boris Nemtsov, a man whom we knew as a …
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As the old saying goes, it’s a small world. I was reminded just how interconnected our world is – and how long it has been so – when I had the opportunity last weekend to visit the amazing exhibit “The Georgian Avantgarde” currently on display at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. This beautiful and …
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Today marks the 72nd anniversary of an act of heroism of the Soviet Army — the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. In remembering this historic day, we are called to reflect on the horrors of the Holocaust and honor the six million Jews and millions of Slavs, Roma, Jehovah’s Witnesses, persons with disabilities, and …
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Sanctions and countersanctions might dominate the headlines, but the local backstory is one of mutually beneficial cooperation. First appeared in The Moscow Times on December 22, 2016. By John F. Tefft In my time in Moscow, I have sometimes encountered misunderstanding about the nature of the United States’ trade relationship with Russia, and the U.S. government’s role in it. This confusion …
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