Huntsman to become U.S. ambassador to Russia, reports say

Jon Huntsman, a politician and diplomat, has been offered the position of U.S. ambassador to Russia, the politico.com news site reported on March 8. Two anonymous White House sources confirmed that Huntsman intends to accept the offer. Most notably, Huntsman served as U.S. ambassador to China in 2009-2011 and currently chairs the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank. He was governor of Utah between 2005 and 2009.

Zenon Zawada: Huntsman is an unusual choice for Trump given that Trump was critical of Huntsman while he was U.S. ambassador to China. Moreover, Huntsman shares the standard anti-Putin, pro-sanctions position shared by the Western foreign policy establishment. So Huntsman will either serve as a control valve on Trump’s détente efforts, or his appointment marks the end of the Russian détente. We lean towards the former.