Victoria Nuland, third-highest ranking US diplomat and critic of Russia’s war in Ukraine, retiring

By MATTHEW LEE
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The third-highest ranking U.S. diplomat and frequent target of criticism for her hawkish views on Russia and its actions in Ukraine will be leaving her post. The State Department said Tuesday that Victoria Nuland will retire this month. Nuland is a career foreign service officer who served as Assistant Secretary of State for Europe during the Obama administration. She retired after Donald Trump was elected president, but returned to government as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs in the Biden administration. She had been a candidate to succeed Wendy Sherman as deputy Secretary of State and had served as acting deputy when Sherman retired. But she lost an internal administration personnel battle when President Joe Biden nominated Kurt Campbell to the no. 2 spot.