The US ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman, has submitted his resignation to US President Donald Trump, claiming family reasons after two years in office marked by a “difficult” political relationship between the two countries.
The former governor of Utah, an aspiring Republican primary for the 2012 elections, has been an ambassador to Russia since 2017. “Our desire is to return to the United States to reconnect with my family and responsibilities at home,” he explained in the letter, initially published by ‘The Salt Lake Tribune’.
Huntsman has said goodbye to a position he considers an “honor”, even though he acknowledges that it has been “a historically difficult newspaper in bilateral relations.” During this time, Russia has expelled 60 US diplomats and closed the Consulate in St. Petersburg in retaliation for a similar measure, according to NBC News.
The ambassador, who will make his resignation effective on October 5, has advocated that Russia be held accountable for behavior that “threatens” the United States and its allies. Among the priorities, he cited “verifiable arms control” and “respect for the sovereignty of neighbors” to Russia.
The Russian Government has reacted through the Foreign Ministry, which has avoided assessing the resignation itself. “Huntsman is a professional. Unfortunately, the internal political situation in the United States has failed to exploit the potential of bilateral relations,” said the Ministry, according to TASS news agency. Europa Press
