The US Embassy has confirmed that John Huntsman intends to resign. A representative of the diplomatic mission told TASS that the ambassador had submitted a corresponding petition to the US president. Huntsman plans to leave his post on October 3, for the remaining time, the head of state should find a successor to him. Whether Trump gave permission to recall the head of the American diplomatic mission is not reported.

The fact that John Huntsman wrote a letter of resignation was reported on Tuesday, August 6, by his family's newspaper The Salt Lake Tribune. The article claims that the diplomat will return to his home state of Utah, where he will possibly stand for election in the gubernatorial elections on November 3, 2020. The newspaper provided a photocopy of Huntsman's resignation petition, the authenticity of which was confirmed by the US Embassy in Russia in a TASS commentary.

“For me personally, the service was an honor - as for many other representatives of the diplomatic corps in Russia, who devote all their efforts to serving our country at the embassy in Moscow and our consulates in Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg. And yet, as I told you and Secretary of State Pompeo, we (with my wife) want to return to the United States two years later, to reunite with our growing family and take up our responsibilities at home, ”the statement says.

At the same time, Huntsman emphasizes: "In the future, we must continue to call Russia to account when its actions threaten us and our allies." The ambassador claims that many of the contradictions between Russia and the United States are insoluble, but there are common interests that should not be overlooked.

“No restart, no restart, just a clear understanding of our interests and values ​​- and a pragmatic framework for continuing the dialogue will not help,” the statement says.

The alleged change of the US ambassador to Russia was previously reported by some American media. Last week, CNN talked about a conversation between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, during which Huntsman’s resignation was allegedly discussed. The television company, citing its sources, claims that the ambassador and his wife hold farewell events, in particular, arrange dinners with representatives of the diplomatic mission.

However, the wife of Ambassador Mary Kay Huntsman in her Instagram called CNN's message incorrect and dishonorable. The ambassador himself refrained from any comments.

Mormon with Chinese and Rock

Huntsman took over as ambassador in 2017. He is one of the few leaders of the US diplomatic mission in Russia who are not professional diplomats, and their career is not completely connected with work in the Department of State.

  • The US Embassy in Moscow
  • Reuters
  • © Grigory Dukor

The future ambassador was born March 26, 1960 in the family of one of the richest people in the United States, chemical industry tycoon John Huntsman, Sr. At fifteen, John Huntsman Jr. dropped out of school to become a rock musician. Three years later, he abandoned this intention, entered the University of Utah, but abandoned it and went to Taiwan as a missionary from the Mormon Church. After living on the island for two years and learning Chinese, Huntsman returned home, went into family business, and graduated from the prestigious Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, which Donald Trump graduated from.

He began his career in public service in the administration of President Ronald Reagan. Later he worked in government structures in various positions related to foreign trade. In the field of his professional interest was the Asia-Pacific region.

Huntsman served as ambassador twice: in 1992-1993 in Singapore and in 2009-2011 in China. He left several times and returned to the civil service. In 2005, Huntsman was elected Governor of Utah and remained in this position until 2009. In 2012, he ran for President of the United States from the Republican Party, but unsuccessfully.

Huntsman’s appointment as ambassador to Russia was unexpected, because by the nature of his professional activity he was never associated with Eastern Europe, experts say. At the same time, Huntsman, as an activist of the Republican Party, repeatedly criticized Donald Trump and even urged him to withdraw his candidacy for the presidential election in 2016. However, later their relationship improved.

Possible reason for resignation

Political scientist Alexander Asafov noted that Huntsman resigned from his post, having worked a little more than two years, while the average length of stay of the heads of the American diplomatic mission in Russia is three years. The expert associates the change of ambassador with a number of circumstances. So, in a conversation with RT, Asafov recalled that from 2014 to 2017, Huntsman headed the Atlantic Council analytical center, whose activity was recognized by the Prosecutor General of Russia as undesirable.

  • Flags of Russia and the USA
  • AFP
  • © Mladen ANTONOV

“The departure from the post of John Huntsman is also connected with this fact. As for other reasons, then, I think, the American ambassadors are changing based on the tasks that they are facing. By the nature of his past activities, Huntsman was engaged in Asia, including China. Obviously, his task was to monitor the process associated with Russian-Chinese cooperation, and to intervene or to collect information if possible, ”Asafov said.

According to the political scientist, the Americans could not prevent the rapprochement between Russia and China, which could not but cause dissatisfaction of the White House with the work of the ambassador in Moscow.

In turn, HSE professor Alexander Domrin believes that initially the appointment of Huntsman as ambassador was a necessary step for the American president.

“Trump had a large staff shortage when it came to appointments related to foreign policy. From the president’s point of view, Huntsman was just another person who was supposed to work to normalize relations between Russia and the United States. Obviously, he did not cope with his task. I could not do anything or, from the point of view of Trump, did not want to. Huntsman’s resignation is associated with this, ”said Domrin in an interview with RT.

The ambassador’s failure to normalize Russian-American relations, according to the expert, is largely due to his inexperience.

“Huntsman was in the diplomatic service, but he is not a diplomat,” says Domrin.

Experts do not exclude that the post of head of the diplomatic mission will be empty until the presidential election in the United States in November 2020.

“Time dictates its plan, and Huntsman will be replaced by a specialist with other competencies and experience that is now in demand. Whether the ambassador of peace will come, or it will be the ambassador of intrigue, war and conflict, we will see, ”Asafov concludes.