Yuri Ushakov

Yuri Ushakov
Yuri Viktorovich Ushakov (born 13 March 1947) is a Russian and former Soviet diplomat who served as the Ambassador of Russia to the United States from 1998 until 2008. Since 2012, he has been an advisor to the President of Russia on foreign policy issues. He has the federal state civilian service rank of 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation.
Early career
Ushakov is a graduate of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) and entered the service of the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1970. In the same year he was sent to the Soviet Embassy, Copenhagen. Returning to Moscow, he worked in the Department of the Scandinavian Countries, in the General Secretariat. He completed advanced training courses at the Diplomatic Academy, defended his Ph.D. thesis on the foreign policy of the countries of northern Europe.
From 1986 to 1992. he was Counsellor-Envoy of the Embassy of the USSR and Russia in Denmark. He was the Russian Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) from 1996 to 1998.
Envoy to Washington
He was appointed Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States in December 1998.
He commented on the Beslan school massacre in North Ossetia-Alania, Russia:
He served until president Dmitry Medvedev replaced him with Sergey Kislyak on 31 May 2008.
In government
From June 2008 to May 2012 Ushakov was Deputy Chief of the Government Staff of the Russian Federation. Since May 2012 he has been Aide to the President of the Russian Federation responsible for international affairs in the Presidential Administration.
Personal life
Ushakov's family consists of him, his wife, and a daughter. According to his income declaration, Ushakov earned 8,736,043 rubles in 2018, while his spouse earned 214,527 rubles during the same period. In 2022, an investigation by the "Metla" publication revealed that the Ushakov family owned real estate valued at over 700 million rubles. Additionally, Yuri Ushakov is fluent in English and Danish.
Honors
Russian Honors
Badge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "For Contribution to International Cooperation" (2017)
Medal "For Contribution to the Creation of the Eurasian Economic Union" 1st class (2015)
Order of Seraphim of Sarov, 2nd Degree (2013)
Order of Friendship (2008)
First Class of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland (2007)
Honored Worker of the Diplomatic Service of the Russian Federation (2006)
Medal of the Order of Honour (2004)
Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (1996)
Honorary Worker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Foreign honours
Order of Manas (Kyrgyzstan, 2017)
Order of Friendship (Kazakhstan, 2019)
Order of the Serbian Flag (Serbia, 2019)
Diplomatic Rank
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador, 1st Class (March 18, 1992)
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador (November 10, 1995)
References
1947 births
Living people
1st class Active State Councillors of the Russian Federation
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Russian Federation)
Diplomats from Moscow
Ambassadors of Russia to the United States
Moscow State Institute of International Relations alumni
Permanent Representatives of Russia to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe