Victoria Nuland
Encyclopedia
Victoria Nuland is the spokesperson for the United States Department of State
.
She was Ambassador of the United States to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
from 2005-2008. As NATO Ambassador, she focused heavily on strengthening Allied support for the Afghanistan war, on NATO-Russia issues, and on the Alliance’s global partnerships and continued enlargement.
A career Foreign Service
officer, she was Principal Deputy National Security Advisor to Vice President
Cheney
from July 2003 until May 2005, where she worked on the full range of global issues, including those relating to Iraq
, Afghanistan
, Lebanon
and the broader Middle East
.
Nuland was the Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO from July 2000 to July 2003. There she was instrumental in NATO's invocation of Article 5 of its charter – "an attack on one ally is an attack on all" – in support of the United States after September 11, 2001. She also worked intensively on the enlargement of the Alliance to include seven new members, the creation of the NATO-Russia
Council, NATO's first deployment "out of area" to Afghanistan and its defense of Turkey
during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
.
From 1997 to 1999, Nuland was Deputy Director for former Soviet Union affairs at the United States Department of State
, with primary responsibility for U.S. policy towards the Russian Federation and the Caucasus
countries. In that capacity, she was awarded the Secretary of Defense's Distinguished Civilian Service medal for her work with the Russians during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
.
Nuland has twice been a visiting fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
. In 1999 to 2000, she looked at the effect of Anti-Americanism
on U.S. relations with other major world powers as a "Next Generation" Fellow at the Council, and from 1996 to 1997, as a State Department Fellow, she directed a CFR task force on "Russia, its Neighbors and an Expanding NATO," which was chaired by Senator Richard Lugar.
From 1993 to 1996, Nuland was chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbot with whom she worked on the nuclear disarmament
of Ukraine
, Kazakhstan
and Belarus
, Bosnia
and Kosovo policy and the U.S. intervention in Haiti
, among other issues. From 1991 to 1993, she covered Russian internal politics at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow
focusing on Boris Yeltsin
and his government. She has also served on the Soviet Desk (1988-1990), in Ulaanbaatar
, Mongolia
, in the State Department's Bureaus of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (1987) and in Guangzhou, China (1985-1986).
and medicine
professor Sherwin B. Nuland
. Nuland is of Jewish ancestry. She graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall
in 1979 and has a B.A.
from Brown University
. Nuland is married to political scientist Robert Kagan
, with whom she has two children. Robert Kagan co-founded the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) in 1997 and co-signed an open letter to President Clinton on Iraq. Robert Kagan's brother is Frederick Kagan
and their father is Donald Kagan
, a well known neoconservative historian and classicist of ancient greece
. Nuland speaks Russian
and French
, and some Chinese.
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
.
Career
In Summer 2011, Nuland became the State Department Spokesperson. She was declared a "consummate professional who proved that Foreign Service officers could be trusted to put professionalism over politics."She was Ambassador of the United States to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
United States Permanent Representative to NATO
The United States Permanent Representative to NATO is the official representative of the United States to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The Representative has the rank of full ambassador and is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate...
from 2005-2008. As NATO Ambassador, she focused heavily on strengthening Allied support for the Afghanistan war, on NATO-Russia issues, and on the Alliance’s global partnerships and continued enlargement.
A career Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
officer, she was Principal Deputy National Security Advisor to Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
from July 2003 until May 2005, where she worked on the full range of global issues, including those relating to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and the broader Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Nuland was the Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO from July 2000 to July 2003. There she was instrumental in NATO's invocation of Article 5 of its charter – "an attack on one ally is an attack on all" – in support of the United States after September 11, 2001. She also worked intensively on the enlargement of the Alliance to include seven new members, the creation of the NATO-Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Council, NATO's first deployment "out of area" to Afghanistan and its defense of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
From 1997 to 1999, Nuland was Deputy Director for former Soviet Union affairs at the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
, with primary responsibility for U.S. policy towards the Russian Federation and the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
countries. In that capacity, she was awarded the Secretary of Defense's Distinguished Civilian Service medal for her work with the Russians during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
.
Nuland has twice been a visiting fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
. In 1999 to 2000, she looked at the effect of Anti-Americanism
Anti-Americanism
The term Anti-Americanism, or Anti-American Sentiment, refers to broad opposition or hostility to the people, policies, culture or government of the United States...
on U.S. relations with other major world powers as a "Next Generation" Fellow at the Council, and from 1996 to 1997, as a State Department Fellow, she directed a CFR task force on "Russia, its Neighbors and an Expanding NATO," which was chaired by Senator Richard Lugar.
From 1993 to 1996, Nuland was chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbot with whom she worked on the nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament refers to both the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and to the end state of a nuclear-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated....
of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
and Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Kosovo policy and the U.S. intervention in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, among other issues. From 1991 to 1993, she covered Russian internal politics at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
focusing on Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
and his government. She has also served on the Soviet Desk (1988-1990), in Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar
Ulan Bator or Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city of Mongolia. An independent municipality, the city is not part of any province, and its population as of 2008 is over one million....
, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, in the State Department's Bureaus of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (1987) and in Guangzhou, China (1985-1986).
Personal life
Nuland is the daughter of Yale bioethicsBioethics
Bioethics is the study of controversial ethics brought about by advances in biology and medicine. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy....
and medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
professor Sherwin B. Nuland
Sherwin B. Nuland
Dr. Sherwin Nuland is an American surgeon and author who teaches bioethics, history of medicine, and medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine and, upon occasion, bioethics and history of medicine at Yale College...
. Nuland is of Jewish ancestry. She graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall
Choate Rosemary Hall
Choate Rosemary Hall is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school located in Wallingford, Connecticut...
in 1979 and has a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. Nuland is married to political scientist Robert Kagan
Robert Kagan
Robert Kagan is an American historian and foreign policy commentator.-Early life and education:Kagan graduated from Yale University in 1980 where he was tapped by Skull and Bones, studied history, and founded the Yale Political Monthly. He later earned an MPP from the John F...
, with whom she has two children. Robert Kagan co-founded the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) in 1997 and co-signed an open letter to President Clinton on Iraq. Robert Kagan's brother is Frederick Kagan
Frederick Kagan
Frederick W. Kagan is an American resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute , and a former professor of military history at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He graduated from Hamden High School before earning a B.A. in Soviet and East European studies and a Ph.D. in Russian and...
and their father is Donald Kagan
Donald Kagan
Donald Kagan is an American historian at Yale University specializing in ancient Greece, notable for his four-volume history of the Peloponnesian War. 1987-1988 Acting Director of Athletics, Yale University. He was Dean of Yale College from 1989–1992. He formerly taught in the Department of...
, a well known neoconservative historian and classicist of ancient greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
. Nuland speaks Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and some Chinese.