Ahead of Zelenskiy address, U.S. Senate backs new ambassador to Russia

Washington has been sending a steady supply of weapons and economic assistance to Zelenskiy's government as Ukraine fights Russian troops. Biden announced Tracy's nomination in September, weeks after the departure of John Sullivan , who had been appointed by former Republican President Donald Trump and was ambassador as Russia's February invasion of Ukraine plunged relations to depths not seen since the Cold War. A Russian speaker, Tracy served as deputy chief of mission in Moscow from 2014 to 2017.

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday backed the confirmation of Lynne Tracy as President Joe Biden's nominee to be ambassador to Russia, hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was to become the rare wartime world leader to address a joint meeting of Congress.

Tracy was confirmed by an overwhelming 93-2. The two no votes came from Republican Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee. Tracy, a career diplomat and current ambassador to Armenia, will be the first woman to serve as U.S. ambassador to Russia.

"The United States needs an ambassador to represent us in Moscow," said Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, noting that it was the 300th day of the Russian war on Ukraine as he urged support for Tracy. Washington has been sending a steady supply of weapons and economic assistance to Zelenskiy's government as Ukraine fights Russian troops.

Biden announced Tracy's nomination in September, weeks after the departure of John Sullivan

, who had been appointed by former Republican President Donald Trump and was ambassador as Russia's February invasion of Ukraine plunged relations to depths not seen since the Cold War. A Russian speaker, Tracy served as deputy chief of mission in Moscow from 2014 to 2017.