Top US State Department diplomat for Europe to step down

The top US diplomat to Europe Karen Donfried will step down to focus on her family, a State Department spokesperson said on March 20, Report informs referring to Reuters.

The 18-month tenure of Assistant Secretary Donfried, who assumed the role in September 2021, has been marked by the biggest conflict in Europe since the World War Two and the US push to form and solidify a unified Western position against Russia.

She has been among US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s key aides, traveling frequently to Europe to meet with US partners as President Joe Biden sought to repair and re-energize transatlantic ties damaged by the unilateral approach of former president Donald Trump’s administration.

“Karen has deftly managed our relationships with many of our most important allies and partners at a time when Kremlin aggression threatened decades of peace and prosperity,” Blinken said in a statement seen by Reuters ahead of publication.

“Her policy acumen, integrity, and drive defined her leadership as Assistant Secretary and represent the highest values of public service,” Blinken added.