U.S. has a stake in the success of democracy in Russia, says former American diplomat

EVANSTON, Ill. — Ian Kelly, a former State Department spokesperson under former President Obama and ambassador (ret.) in residence at Northwestern University is available to comment on the recent protests in Russia and the arrest of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Media interested in interviewing Ambassador Kelly should reach out to Mohamed Abdelfattah at mohamed@northwestern.edu.

Quote from Ambassador Ian Kelly:
“The U.S. and our European allies have a real stake in the success of the democratic movement in Russia. Security among states depends on the respect for human rights within states. Support for Navalny and his anti-corruption cause should go beyond rhetoric and include sanctions against those who would prevent free assembly and expression.” 

About Ian Kelly
Kelly is a retired senior foreign service officer who most recently served as the U.S. ambassador to Georgia from 2015 to 2018. Previously he served as the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) from 2010 to 2013. 

Prior to these ambassadorships, Kelly held a variety of high-level positions at the U.S. State Department, including serving as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s spokesperson (2009-2010). He has extensive experience working on issues relating to NATO, Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Balkans.