John F. Tefft | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2014 | |
| 8th United States Ambassador to Russia | |
| In office November 19, 2014 – September 28, 2017 | |
| President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Michael McFaul |
| Succeeded by | Jon Huntsman Jr. |
| 7th United States Ambassador to Ukraine | |
| In office December 7, 2009 – July 29, 2013 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | William B. Taylor Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Geoffrey R. Pyatt |
| United States Ambassador to Georgia | |
| In office August 23, 2005 – September 9, 2009 | |
| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Richard Miles |
| Succeeded by | John R. Bass |
| United States Ambassador to Lithuania | |
| In office August 30, 2000 – May 10, 2003 | |
| President | Bill Clinton George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Keith C. Smith |
| Succeeded by | Stephen D. Mull |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1949-08-16)August 16, 1949 (age 76) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Spouse | Mariella Cellitti Tefft |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Marquette University (BA) Georgetown University (MA) |
John F. Tefft (born August 16, 1949) is an American diplomat who has served as aForeign Service Officer since 1972. He was theUnited States Ambassador to Russia between July 31, 2014 and September 28, 2017.[1] He had previously served as the United States' ambassador toUkraine,[2]Georgia, andLithuania.
Tefft was born inMadison, Wisconsin. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree fromMarquette University and a Master of Arts in history fromGeorgetown University.[3]
Tefft is a career member of theSenior Foreign Service, with the personal rank ofMinister-Counselor. He joined theUnited States Foreign Service in 1972 and has served inJerusalem,Budapest,Rome,Moscow,Vilnius,Tbilisi, andKyiv.[citation needed]
Until his appointment as ambassador to Georgia, he was the deputyAssistant Secretary of State for European Affairs since July 6, 2004. Tefft also served as International Affairs Advisor (Deputy Commandant) of theNational War College inWashington, D.C. From 2000 to 2003, he was the United States Ambassador toLithuania. He served asdeputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow from 1996 to 1999 (whenPickering was ambassador), and waschargé d'affaires at the Embassy from November 1996 to September 1997.[citation needed] Tefft served as Director of the Office of Northern European Affairs from 1992 to 1994, Deputy Director of the Office of Soviet Union (later Russian and CIS) Affairs from 1989 to 1992, and Counselor for Political-Military Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Rome from 1986 to 1989. His other foreign assignments included Budapest and Jerusalem, as well as service on the U.S. delegation to theSTART I arms control negotiations in 1985.[citation needed]
On September 30, 2009,PresidentBarack Obama nominated Tefft as theambassador to Ukraine.[4] He was confirmed by theU.S. Senate on November 20, 2009.[5]
Tefft arrived inUkraine on December 2, 2009,[5] andPresidentViktor Yushchenko accepted Tefft's credentials of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary on December 7, 2009.[citation needed] The ambassador expressed his hope for fruitfulcooperation. Tefft delivered his speech inUkrainian.[6]
On February 26, 2013, President Obama nominatedGeoffrey R. Pyatt to succeed Tefft as Ambassador of the United States to Ukraine.[7] Pyatt was sworn in on July 30, 2013, and arrived in Ukraine on August 3, 2013.[2]
In July 2014, President Obama nominated Tefft as the United States Ambassador to Russia in Moscow, after receiving Russia's approval.[8]The Senate confirmed Tefft in a voice vote on July 31, 2014.[9] The confirmation followed several attempts as a number of ambassadorial appointments were being held up at the time.Strained relations with Russia overpro-separatist activity in eastern Ukraine, the country'sannexation of Crimea, and thealleged shooting down of a commercial airliner, prompted senators to finally approve the nomination. He presented his credentials to PresidentVladimir Putin on November 19, 2014,[10] and left the position on September 28, 2017.[11]
In 2016, the Russian governor of theSamara Oblast,Nikolay Merkushkin, advisedAvtoVAZagregat employees for help in paying wages and appeals to US Ambassador John Tefft.[12][13]
Tefft has received a number of awards, including the State DepartmentDistinguished Honor Award in 1992 and the DCM of the Year Award for his service in Moscow in 1999. He received Presidential Meritorious Service Awards in 2001 and 2005.[citation needed]
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Keith C. Smith | United States Ambassador to Lithuania 2000–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to Georgia 2005–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to Ukraine 2009–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to Russia 2014–2017 | Succeeded byasChargé d'affaires |
| Succeeded by | ||
 | ||
 Russian Empire(1780–1917) | |
|---|---|
 Soviet Union(1933–1991) | |
| Russian Federation (1991–present) | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
