President Barack Obama has nominated career diplomat John Francis Tefft to be the next U.S. ambassador to Russia.
Obama's announcement on July 10 follows a period of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Russia's actions in Ukraine.
Tefft was the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine in Obama's first term. Before that, Tefft was the U.S. ambassador to Georgia during the administration of George W. Bush.
On July 9, Moscow said it had agreed to Tefft's candidacy as the new U.S. ambassador to Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's top foreign-policy aide, Yury Ushakov, told reporters that "agreement has been given," a reference to a diplomatic procedure in which the host government accepts the nomination of an ambassador.
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Tefft will succeed Michael McFaul, who quit his post in February after just two years on the job.
Based on reporting by AFP and AP