The tenure of Lynne Tracy, U.S. ambassador to Russia, comes at a time when relations between the U.S. and Moscow have rarely been as fraught as they are now. WSJ’s Russia Bureau Chief Ann Simmons talks with Tracy about the challenges. Photo: Valery Sharifulin/TASS via Zuma PressThe moment when ambassadors present their credentials to their hosts is usually a staid affair. When the U.S. ambassador presented herself at the Kremlin in April, Russian President Vladimir Putin railed at Washington during the televised ceremony, accusing it of sparking the war in Ukraine. With Putin set off behind a podium at the other end of the Alexander Hall, there was no way for Lynne Tracy or the other new ambassadors to respond.

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Persons: Lynne Tracy, Ann Simmons, Tracy, Valery Sharifulin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Alexander Hall Organizations: U.S, Kremlin Locations: U.S, Russia, Moscow, WSJ’s Russia, Washington, Ukraine