New Delhi, March 6: The third-ranking US Diplomat, Victoria Jane Nuland also known as Toria Nuland has announced her retirement. The staunch supporter of Ukraine in the ongoing Russian -Ukraine war will leave her position as the under secretary of state for political affairs in the coming weeks, the State Department said on Tuesday, March 5.

Nuland, who has been serving as under secretary of state since 2021, assumed the post of Deputy Secretary of State after Wendy Sherman's retirement. She was appointed under the administration led by US president Joe Biden. After serving as acting deputy for seven months, Nuland lost out on the position when President Joe Biden nominated Kurt Campbell to the number two spot. Following this, Nuland decided to retire from her office. US Presidential Elections 2024: Joe Biden, Donald Trump Lead in ‘Super Tuesday’ Wins, Edging Closer to Rematch.

Who is Victoria Jane Nuland?

Nuland's political career began in 1993 as deputy director for former Soviet Union affairs during Bill Clinton's administration. She served as the U.S. embassy in Moscow during the eventful 1990s, and was in the city during the attempted coup against the former Russian President Boris Yeltsin.

Nuland was a policy adviser to the United States during George Bush's administration, and had influential role during the Iraq War. Following her tenure at the U.S. embassy in Moscow, she assumed the role of U.S. ambassador to NATO. Subsequently, she was selected to serve as the State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton during President Barack Obama’s first term. Nuland, left the State Department in January 2017, when Donald Trump became the president. She however, returned to government during Biden's administration. US President Joe Biden To Issue Executive Order Aimed at Protecting Americans’ Sensitive Data From China and Russia.

Strong Critic of Russia’s War Against Ukraine:

The 62-year-old US diplomat has acted as a strong critic of Russia's military aggression towards Ukraine. For this, she has often drawn the ire of Russian leaders and has been the centre of criticism. Former Secretary of State John Kerry recounted the time when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov congratulated him for "getting rid of that woman". In reply, Kerry told  Lavrov that he didn’t get rid of her, "I promoted her."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Nuland will be replaced on an acting basis by John Bass, under secretary of state for management.  Blinken praised Nuland, who earlier served as the department's spokesperson and said that US students will study her leadership  for years to come. "Her efforts have been indispensable to confronting (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marshaling a global coalition to ensure his strategic failure," Blinken stated. However, it remains unclear who might be nominated to the position on a permanent basis.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 06, 2024 11:25 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).