JRL NEWSWATCH: “Jon Huntsman to Resign as Trump’s Ambassador to Russia; Former governor of Utah will return home after a tenure marked by deteriorating relations” – Wall Street Journal/ Alex Leary, Michael R. Gordon, Georgi Kantchev, Natalie Andrews

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

“Jon Huntsman, … U.S. ambassador to Russia, will resign … in early October … ahead of what is widely seen as a bid to again seek election as Utah’s governor. The 59-year-old Republican was ambassador to China under … Obama, resigned that post to run for president in 2012, then was selected by … Trump to be ambassador to Russia […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. rolls ‘100K tons of international diplomacy’ into the Med. Will Russia get the message?” – Defense News/ Matthew Bodner

File Photo of Portions of U.S. Navy Carrier Groups Lincoln and Stennis in Mediterranean, adapted from defense.gov image relating to defense.gov video

“…. ‘Each of the carriers operating in the Mediterranean as this time represent 100,000 tons of international diplomacy,’ Huntsman said …. ‘Diplomatic communication and dialogue, coupled with the strong defenses these ships provide, demonstrate to Russia that if it truly seeks better relations with the United states, it must cease its destabilizing activities around the world.’ …”

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Interview: U.S. Ambassador Reaffirms Support For Ukraine’s Integrity, Calls On Russia To Talk

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

(Article text ©2019 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – April 13, 2019 – article text also appeared at rferl.org/a/russia-u-s-ambassador-huntsman-reaffirms-support-ukraine-s-integrity-talks/29878614.html) The U.S. ambassador to Russia said Washington was committed to defending Ukraine’s territorial integrity, saying the issue of Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and the conflict in eastern Ukraine was “a core part of our estrangement with Russia.” In […]

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Trust Is Key to Repairing Ties With Russia; Russia should show it can be a responsible member of the international community

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jon Huntsman – December 19, 2018) Jon Huntsman is the U.S. Ambassador to Russia. As I reflect on 2018 and look forward to 2019, I am reminded of my words in this very publication a year ago. At that time, I stressed that we need to roll up our sleeves to come up with a […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Rogozin, U.S. ambassador agree politics should not hinder space cooperation” – Interfax

International Space Station file photo

MOSCOW. June 6 (Interfax) – Roscosmos General Director Dmitry Rogozin and U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman have met in Baikonur to discuss the future of bilateral cooperation in space projects, the state corporation’s press service said in a statement. [Rogozin] has had a working meeting with NASA Deputy Administrator William Gerstenmaier and U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman; the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ambassador Huntsman may face the biggest test since the Cold War: Rebuild Russian relations with fewer resources at a time when he needs more of them” – Salt Lake Tribune/Thomas Burr

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

“The previous U.S. ambassador to Russia had a staff of more than 1,200 people, an embassy in Moscow and three consulates as well as a country house.  Jon Huntsman has about 455 staffers left, and only the embassy and two consulates remain operating.  At a tense time for U.S.-Russian ties – arguably the most turbulent since the Cold War – […]

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U.S. Ambassador To Russia Expresses ‘Frustration’ With State Of Relations

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Moscow – May 24, 2018 – also appeared at rferl.org/a/russia-u-s-ambassador-huntsman-interview-frustration-sanctions/29249157.html) U.S. Ambassador to Moscow Jon Huntsman says he has experienced “frustration” due to the reluctance of some Russian officials to meet with him because of the state of affairs between the two countries. “Our relationship is not in a good […]

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NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Ambassador Skips Encounter With Sanctioned Russian Tycoon” – Reuters

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

“U.S. ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr. stayed away from an event on Friday that would have required him to be in the same room as Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian metals tycoon subject to U.S. sanctions. Huntsman had initially been scheduled to be part of a panel discussion on U.S.-Russian business ties as part of the St Petersburg investment forum, […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Ambassador Huntsman views strengthening of business ties as basis for improvement of Russian-U.S. relations” – Interfax

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) – Business ties between Russia and the United States should serve as the foundation for the improvement of bilateral relations, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman said. “There of course remain profound disagreements between our governments on a number of policy issues, thankfully relations between our people, and that includes business relationships, remain strong. It is […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Kremlin cool on U.S. cooperation overtures” – Interfax

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

(Interfax – April 24, 2018) The Kremlin has responded coolly to US statements about President Donald Trump’s reported readiness to cooperate with Russia. Commenting on US ambassador to Russia John Huntsman’s recent statement that Trump is “aiming to lessen tensions” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “As of now, the reality, the real state of affairs, real steps which we see […]

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VOA Interview: U.S. Ambassador Says Russia Must Change Behavior

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

(Voice of America – voanews.com – Jamie Dettmer – MOSCOW – March 29, 2018) “You can never stage or time things perfectly,” laughs Jon Huntsman, the U.S. ambassador to Russia. He is discussing the controversial phone call President Donald Trump made last week to Vladimir Putin, in which he congratulated the Russian leader on his re-election. The call surprised White […]

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[Ambassador Huntsman:] We Can and Must Improve Ties With Russia; For a better future for Russians, Americans and the world, we have to begin to find solutions to the common problems

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jon Huntsman – January 26, 2018) Jon Huntsman is the U.S. Ambassador to Russia. Reflecting on my first three months as U.S. Ambassador to Russia and looking forward to the prospects for 2018, I remain convinced that, not only can we improve the U.S.- Russia relationship, but we must. We are making progress, and there […]

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Interfax: Trump would like to see relations with Russia improved – U.S. ambassador to Russia

Vladirmir Putin and Donald Trump Sitting in Chairs with Flags Behind, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

MOSCOW. Jan 27 (Interfax) – U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman has said he believes that President Donald Trump would like to spend more time on relations between Russia and the United States. “I know that the President would like to see this relationship improved. I think he would like to spend more time on the relationship itself, as he […]

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Interfax: Ambassador Huntsman hoping for more meetings with Russian officials to normalize dialogue

File Photo of U.S. Embassy Moscow, with Russian Foreign Ministry Building in Distance

MOSCOW. Jan 29 (Interfax) – United States Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman expects to have more meetings with Russian officials to normalize dialogue between the two countries. “I wish we had more meetings, and we will continue to ask,” Huntsman told journalists in Moscow on Monday. He said that replies normally come to the embassy and was thus unaware whether […]

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U.S. not prepared for contacts with Russia in format of meetings between foreign policy, defense chiefs – ambassador

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

MOSCOW. Jan 16 (Interfax) – The United States is currently not prepared to discuss the resumption of contacts with Russia in the 2+2 format – meetings between the heads of the two countries’ foreign-policy and defense agencies – even though the countries are trying to intensify bilateral dialogue on key issues, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman said in reply […]

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NEWSLINK: “Trump’s Russia Ambassador: U.S.-Russia Relations ‘Done’ if Kremlin Meddles in 2018 Elections; Jon Huntsman tells a room full of lawmakers that Russia is very much on course to play a disruptive role again” – DailyBeast/ Andrew Desiderio

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World more peaceful when Russia, U.S. work together – Ambassador Huntsman

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

ST. PETERSBURG. Nov 28 (Interfax) – United States Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman is convinced that Russia and his country should work together to preserve peace in the world. Speaking at the opening of the U.S. artist Susan Swartz’ exhibition at the Marble Palace of the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, Huntsman expressed his hope for an improvement […]

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VIDEO: US Envoy to Russia Slams Moscow’s Pending Curbs on US-funded News Outlets

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

(Voice of America – VOA’s Daniel Schearf contributed to this report – WASHINGTON – November 20, 2017) [Video and article also appeared at voanews.com/a/us-ambassador-to-russia-attacks-on-us-funded-agencies/4125489.html] The U.S. ambassador to Russia has attacked Moscow’s move toward forcing nine United States government-funded news operations to register as “foreign agents” as “a reach beyond” what the U.S. government did in requiring the Kremlin-funded RT television network […]

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Enter Huntsman, Trump’s New Man in Moscow; Even as relations spiral, Washington’s new ambassador is talking tough

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Evan Gershkovich – September 29, 2017) Jon Huntsman, confirmed as the next U.S. Ambassador in Russia on Friday, has made little secret of what sort of diplomat he intends to be. He will meet dissidents, end human rights abuses and help solve the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, all while cultivating a “necessary” relationship with […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Senate Confirms Huntsman as US Ambassador to Russia” – AP

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

“Jon Huntsman … former Utah governor … won easy confirmation Thursday as U.S. ambassador to Russia …. by voice vote. He breezed through his confirmation hearing last week as Republicans and Democrats praised his qualifications …. Huntsman has twice served before as a U.S. ambassador. … to Singapore under President George H.W. Bush and … to China under President Barack Obama before returning […]

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TRANSCRIPT: Statement of Jon Huntsman, Nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

American Flag and Partial View of U.S. Capitol Dome, adapted from image at aoc.gov

Statement of Jon Huntsman, Nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation Senate Committee on Foreign Relations September 19, 2017 Chairman Corker, Ranking Member Cardin, and Members of the Committee, It is an honor to appear before you today as President Trump’s nominee to be the United States Ambassador to the Russian Federation. I want to thank the President […]

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New U.S. Ambassador Huntsman Says ‘No Question’ Russia Meddled in Elections

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – September 19, 2017) In a nomination hearing before the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Russia nominee Jon Huntsman said he was certain Moscow had interfered in the 2016 presidential elections. Earlier this year, U.S. intelligence unanimously concluded Moscow undermined the U.S. electoral system to sway the outcome of U.S. elections last November in […]

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On Trump’s New Man in Russia, Jon Huntsman, Moscow Says ‘Wait and See’; The former China envoy is facing a tough crowd

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – July 19, 2017) The appointment of reported ‘hardliner’ Jon Huntsman as the United States’ new Ambassador to Russia met with mixed reactions in Moscow on Wednesday. “It’s too early for labels,” Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko was cited as saying by the state-run TASS news agency. “[We have to] judge him by his […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Trump to nominate Jon Huntsman as ambassador to Russia” – Washington Post/ Abby Phillip, Lisa Rein, Carol Morello

File Photo of John Huntsman, Men in Military Uniforms and Others, adapted from image at army.mil

“Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman will be nominated as the U.S. ambassador to Russia … The White House confirmed in March that it would name [him] … to the Russia post. [b]ut … delayed formally naming Huntsman and sending the nomination to the Senate for confirmation as the United States waited for the Kremlin to approve his selection. … amid what could be […]

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RUSSIALINK RBTH: “Russian pundits praise Trump’s pick for new ambassador to Russia”

File Photo of U.S. Embassy Moscow, with Russian Foreign Ministry Building in Distance

Given the Russia-related political turmoil that has shaken his administration, Donald Trump had little choice in selecting a suitable candidate to serve as ambassador to Russia. However, experts agree that the reasons for choosing Jon #Huntsman go beyond the Trump administration’s internal policy considerations. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – NIKOLAI SHEVCHENKO, RBTH – March 10, 2017) The appointment […]

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