Aug 6, 2019

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman submits resignation

Zachary Basu

Photo: Artyom Geodakyan\TASS via Getty Images

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman is resigning from his post effective Oct. 3, according to a letter first reported by the Salt Lake Tribune.

Why it matters: Huntsman is a two-term governor of Utah and former ambassador to China under President Obama who was diagnosed with cancer last year. His resignation is fueling speculation that he may again run for governor of Utah, per the Tribune. Huntsman faced calls to resign after the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki last summer, but said he would stay on out of commitment to his colleagues and country in this "fragile" era of U.S.-Russia relations.

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Rebecca Falconer

Russia denies U.S. senators visas ahead of congressional visit

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in a statement Tuesday Russia had refused to grant him a visa to visit the country as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation.

Why it matters: Murphy's statement comes a day after fellow Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said Russia had refused to grant him a visa. President Trump has been trying to press G7 members to let Russia rejoin the group, after it was disinvited in 2014 from attending the summit for annexing Crimea.

Go deeperArrowUpdated Aug 28, 2019
Dave Lawler

Trump says Russia is out of G7 because "Putin outsmarted Obama"

Trump and Putin at the G20. Photo: Kremlin Press Office/Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

President Trump claimed today that Russian President Vladimir Putin "outsmarted" President Obama when he annexed Crimea in 2014 and that Russia was expelled from the G8 because Obama was upset at having been outmaneuvered.

Why it matters: Trump wants Russia to be allowed to rejoin the G7 club, and he has repeatedly declined to blame Putin personally for the incursions into Ukraine that united the other G8 members against him. Trump said Putin had been "a good member of the G8" and that the world is better off with Russia "inside rather than outside."

Go deeper: Highlights from Trump-Macron press conference.

Keep ReadingArrowAug 26, 2019
Rebecca Falconer

Trump: Russia should rejoin the G7

President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, in June. Photo: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that Russia should be readmitted to the G7, saying "it should be the G8."

Go deeperArrowAug 21, 2019