U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon M. Huntsman Jr. will resign from his post effective Oct. 3 — capping a tumultuous two-year tenure in Moscow defined by sinking bilateral relations, despite efforts to stem the damage.

"American citizenship is a privilege and I believe the most basic responsibility in return is service to country," wrote Huntsman in a resignation letter delivered to President Donald Trump on Tuesday and first published in The Salt Lake Tribune, a paper owned by Huntsman's brother.

"To that end, I am honored by the trust you have placed in me as United States Ambassador to Russia during this historically difficult period in bilateral relations."

Huntsman's tenure was defined by fallout from lingering anger over allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.

He arrived just months after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the mass expulsion of 755 American diplomats from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow — a delayed response to earlier reprisals by the Obama administration.

Source : VOA