Biden Nominates Former US Envoy to Ukraine as Assistant Secretary of State for Energy

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US President Joe Biden has nominated former Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt for the position of Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, the White House announced on Friday.

"Today, President Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve as key leaders in his administration: … Geoffrey Pyatt, Nominee for Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources," the press release said.

At the moment, Pyatt is serving as the US ambassador to Greece, a position he has held since 2016. The track record of the American diplomat also includes serving as the US envoy to Ukraine between 2013 and 2016.

Pyatt was one of the key figures in the 2014 events that led to a change of power in Ukraine. He also labeled pro-Russian rebels in Donbas as "terrorists."

In 2014, Pyatt's role came to light following the publication of the leaked recording of his phone conversation with then-Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland. In the recording that became scandalous, the two senior diplomats discussed their vision for the future of post-coup Ukraine, including coordination with opposition figures.

Since joining the US foreign service in 1989, Pyatt has served in many senior diplomatic positions, including Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs and the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency, according to the release.