Washington appoints new deputy chief of mission at US Embassy in Moscow

J. Douglas Dykehouse has been appointed as the new Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Russia, according to an announcement from the diplomatic mission's official Telegram channel.

“We are pleased to welcome J. Douglas Dykehouse to the US Embassy in Moscow as the new Deputy Chief of Mission. Mr. Dykehouse is a seasoned diplomat with more than 25 years of service in the US Foreign Service. Prior to his arrival in Moscow, he served as Principal Deputy Director of the State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations and held senior positions in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs,” the statement said.

The embassy also noted that Dykehouse's diplomatic experience includes postings in Afghanistan, Hungary, Mexico, Croatia, and Turkmenistan. “He also has deep knowledge of Russia and Eastern Europe. We greatly value Mr. Dykehouse joining our team at this important moment in US–Russia relations,” the embassy added.

Meanwhile, the embassy confirmed that US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy will soon complete her mission in Moscow.

Tracy was appointed ambassador to the Russian Federation in December 2022 during the administration of former President Joe Biden, becoming the first woman in history to head the US diplomatic mission in Russia.

She arrived in Moscow on January 26, 2023, and officially assumed her duties on January 30. On April 5, 2023, she took part in the credentials ceremony for foreign ambassadors with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A career diplomat, Tracy previously served as the US Ambassador to Armenia. Before her post in Yerevan, she worked as Senior Advisor for Russian Affairs in the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.

From 2014 to 2017, she served in Moscow as Deputy Chief of Mission under then-Ambassador John Tefft. Earlier, she was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and Director for Central Asia at the White House National Security Council. Tracy speaks fluent Russian.

By Tamilla Hasanova