Press Statement
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
March 5, 2024
Victoria Nuland has let me know that she intends to step down in the coming weeks as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs – a role in which she has personified President Biden’s commitment to put diplomacy back at the center of our foreign policy and revitalize America’s global leadership at a crucial time for our nation and the world.
Toria’s tenure caps three and a half decades of remarkable public service under six Presidents and ten Secretaries of State. Starting with her very first posting as a consular officer in Guangzhou, China, Toria’s had most of the jobs in this Department. Political officer and economic officer. Spokesperson and chief of staff. Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Secretary. Special Envoy and Ambassador.
These experiences have armed Toria with an encyclopedic knowledge of a wide range of issues and regions, and an unmatched capacity to wield the full toolkit of American diplomacy to advance our interests and values.
What makes Toria truly exceptional is the fierce passion she brings to fighting for what she believes in most: freedom, democracy, human rights, and America’s enduring capacity to inspire and promote those values around the world. These were the principles that drove Toria when we first met more than 30 years ago. They are the same principles she has brought to her work as Under Secretary, and as Acting Deputy Secretary of State – a role she filled seamlessly for seven months.
Over the past three years, Toria has led this Department on everything from addressing complex crises in the Sahel, Haiti, and the Middle East, to broadening and strengthening America’s alliances and partnerships across Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
But it’s Toria’s leadership on Ukraine that diplomats and students of foreign policy will study for years to come. Her efforts have been indispensable to confronting Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marshaling a global coalition to ensure his strategic failure, and helping Ukraine work toward the day when it will be able to stand strongly on its own feet – democratically, economically, and militarily.
There is so much to admire about Toria beyond her diplomatic skill. She always speaks her mind – to my benefit and to the benefit of our foreign policy. She always stands up for and invests in America’s diplomats – mentoring them, lifting them up, and ensuring they and their families have what they deserve, and what our mission demands. She finds light in the darkest moments, makes you laugh when you need it most, and always has your back.
President Biden and I have asked our Under Secretary for Management John Bass to serve as Acting Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs until Toria’s replacement is confirmed.
We are so grateful for Toria’s service, and for the lasting mark she’s made on this institution and the world.
8 replies on “On the Retirement of Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland”
Good riddance Nuland!
Is this a case of immune escape?
Four provinces confirm measles cases, including rare case in fully vaccinated man
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/four-provinces-confirm-measles-cases-including-rare-case-in-fully-vaccinated-man-1.6794772
This part of the story is hilarious!
He said the man in his 30s was fully vaccinated.
Dawn Bowdish, an immunology professor at Hamilton’s McMaster University, said that it’s rare for someone to be infected after getting vaccinated.
“When I hear about a case like this, I’m thankful this person was vaccinated because it means they probably had a less dangerous course (of illness) than they might have had,” she said, noting that measles is not only the most contagious known virus, but also has the “highest death rate of all the vaccine-preventable infections.”
“The patient would also be less likely to spread measles to others than if he had been unvaccinated,” she said.
I agree on good riddance to Nuland
and think this suggests something about Ukraine, as Ukraine was her creation.
As for the measles cases- they are always with us, year after year. Despite mass vaccination.
And Dawn Bodish is full of sh*t- look at the weasel wording
“less likely ”
Like how much less likely? Be specific. But she can’t be because that’s spin.
the fact he has contracted them tells us he’s carrying a viral load that can be spread
Or this
“they probably had a less dangerous course (of illness) than they might have had”
probably? might have?
Gotta love the spin
Does Dawn have any published, peer reviewed scientific evidence to back up what she says? Maybe it hasn’t dawned on her that there isn’t any.
Hey Gary, I’d say Dawn is still in the dark regarding scientific evidence! 🙂
I wish I was on first name basis with Nuland so I could use her cute nickname “Toria”. It would make it so much more poignant when I told her what I thought of her career and neo-con stance. I’d like to hear Blinken explain how she managed to, ” …revitalize America’s global leadership,” with one military blunder after another. Now she can re-enter the shadow land of some deep state think tank and continue her puppet master routine. Only death can free us from her slimy tentacles.
Oh no, did I say that out loud?
You noticed that did ya? Repeatedly? I found it odd that he use that type of cutie nickname in this circumstance. Yes, they may be great friends. But I’d expected a more professional announcement to the public.
Her husband’s been involved with a think tank (Brookings) for a long time so yah she can just move over their and wield influence.
I’d forgotten he was a founder of PNAC as well.. Project for a New American Century. Which looks to have lead to the decline of America
Yes, Blinken’s use of the nickname makes her appear more human, and less reptilian.
:))