John Tefft

Date of Birth: 16.08.1949

Place of Birth. Education. Born on August 16, 1949, in Madison, Wisconsin. He received his bachelor's degree from Marquette University and his master's degree from Georgetown University.

Career. An experienced diplomat with over 30 years of service. A significant portion of this time, Tefft worked in the post-Soviet space.

In 1972, he joined the U.S. diplomatic service.

1986-1989 - military-political advisor to the American ambassador in Rome.

1989-1992 - head of the Foreign Ministry's department for the Soviet Union (later for Russia and the CIS).

1992-1994 - director of the Northern Europe department at the U.S. State Department.

1996-1999 - deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, acting chargé d'affaires of the U.S. in the RF.

2000-2003 - U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania.

2003-2004 - foreign policy advisor at the National War College in Washington.

2004-2005 - deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs. In this position, he was responsible for U.S. relations with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. In Ukraine, he is particularly known for expressing concerns about the conduct of the electoral campaign in Ukraine in 2004, particularly the unequal access of candidates to the media.

2005-2009 - U.S. Ambassador to Georgia. Just before completing his mission, he faced severe criticism from the opposition. After protests by the Georgian opposition outside Parliament, where young radicals threw eggs and bottles at MPs, resulting in clashes with security, the U.S. ambassador openly criticized the opposition. The U.S. embassy issued a statement noting that 'these actions crossed the line between free expression and criminal acts.' However, the opposition accused the American ambassador of loyalty not to the country but to the regime.

From December 2009 to July 2013 - Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the United States to Ukraine.

On April 21, 2014, President Barack Obama announced his intention to appoint Tefft as U.S. Ambassador to Russia. On July 8, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued agreement on Tefft's appointment as the new head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Moscow.

On July 29, 2014, the U.S. Senate confirmed John Tefft as Ambassador to Russia. Both Democrats and Republicans voted for Tefft.

In July 2017, the American embassy in Moscow officially announced that Tefft would conclude his role as ambassador in Moscow by early autumn 2017. On September 27, Tefft held a farewell evening at the American embassy, and on September 28, 2017, he left Russia. John Tefft was succeeded as U.S. Ambassador to Russia by Jon Huntsman.

Awards. 'State Department Distinguished Honor Award' (1992), 'DCM of the Year Award' (for work at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, 1999), 'Presidential Meritorious Service Awards' (twice: in 2001 and 2005).

Family. The diplomat is married to Mariella, who worked as a nurse and dealt with biostatistics issues. Tefft raised two daughters, one of whom became a lawyer, while the other found her place in the entertainment industry.

16.08.2022.