The United States ambassador to Belarus is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Belarus.
Until 1991, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic had been a constituent republic of the Soviet Union. During the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic declared independence on August 25, 1991, and renamed itself the Republic of Belarus on September 19, 1991. The United States recognized Belarus on December 26, 1991. An embassy was established in the capital, Minsk, on January 31, 1992, with John Ford as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. Relations between the United States and Belarus have been continuous since that time.
The U.S. Embassy in Belarus is located in Minsk. Since March 12, 2008, when Ambassador Karen Stewart was formally recalled for consultations, there has been no accredited U.S. Ambassador in Minsk. All but five U.S. diplomats were declared persona non grata on April 30, 2008.
Ambassadors +NameTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated missionNotesDavid Heywood Swartz – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 11, 1992September 9, 1992January 21, 1994Kenneth Spencer Yalowitz – Career FSOSeptember 29, 1994November 7, 1994July 8, 1997Daniel V. Speckhard – Career FSODuring his tenure, Ambassador Speckhard was recalled for one year because of a dispute between the government and Western embassies over the confiscation of diplomatic residences. August 1, 1997September 18, 1997August 5, 2000Michael G. Kozak – Career Civil Service (non-FSO)September 15, 2000February 22, 2001August 8, 2003George A. Krol – Career FSOJuly 1, 2003October 22, 2003July 24, 2006Karen B. Stewart – Career FSOAugust 14, 2006October 24, 2006March 12, 2008Ambassador Stewart was "recalled for consultations" at the request of the government of Belarus on March 12, 2008. Sources: The New York Times: "U.S. Cuts Embassy Staff ", Moscow Times: "U.S. Ambassador Leaving Belarus"Jonathan M. Moore – Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimMarch 12, 2008—July 7, 2009Michael Scanlan – Career FSOJuly 7, 2009—June 2013Ethan A. Goldrich – Career FSOJune 2013—June 30, 2014Scott RaulandChief of Mission |Minsk, Belarus - Embassy of the United StatesJune 30, 2014—July 8, 2016Robert J. RileyAugust 22, 2016—July 17, 2018Jenifer H. MooreAugust 17, 2018—July 27, 2020Jeffrey GiauqueJuly 27, 2020—December 22, 2020Julie D. Fisher – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 15, 2020December 23, 2020June 9, 2022Ruben HarutunianChargé d'Affaires ad interimJune 9, 2022June 25, 2023Peter Kaufmann June 26, 2023July 21, 2025Michael KreidlerJuly 21, 2025Present
Notes
See also Belarus – United States relations Foreign relations of Belarus Ambassadors of the United States
References United States Department of State: Background notes on Belarus
External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Belarus United States Department of State: Belarus United States Embassy in Minsk