Russian Representative Calls U.S. Withdrawal of Elise Stefanik Nomination an Internal Matter, Says Current U.S. Mission Working Cooperatively

When reporters asked about separate matters involving the United States, the Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations responded that a reported U.S. detention of a Russian computer scientist in an ICE facility in Louisiana was something he had "heard about," adding no further detail.

On the U.S. withdrawal of Elise Stefanik's nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, the representative said Moscow was "sad to hear this, because we were already thinking about her as, as our of our colleague," but described ambassadorial appointments as "the sovereign right of The United States President." He said Russia would "be ready to engage and to work with any U.S. representative whom the U.S. President chooses to represent his country here in the United Nations."

In response to a follow-up about U.S.-Russia cooperation at the U.N., the representative said the current U.S. mission leadership had been cooperative. "I wouldn't say that our current, US colleagues, are doing something that we are not satisfied with in terms of openness and contact," he said, noting interaction with the charge d'affaires, named in the transcript as Dorothy Xi, on issues including Ukraine and Syria. The representative added that the head of mission is an important political figure and that a permanent representative would "reinforce further the U.S. mission here."

No formal resolution, travel advisory or bilateral agreement was announced in the exchange; the remarks were part of a broader question-and-answer session and reflected the Russian mission's views on U.S. internal personnel decisions and bilateral working relations at the U.N.