This article is reprinted from 【CCTV News】
Content displayed on the U.S. Department of State website on April 25 shows that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has appointed Brendan Hanrahan, who previously served as a policy advisor to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, as a senior official for European affairs.
According to a report by Reuters, Louis Bonow, a senior official of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, said in an email to staff on the 25th that Hanrahan will take over his position. Bonow said that Hanrahan "brings valuable experience from the private sector and the U.S. Senate," and will do a good job leading the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs during the Department of State's reorganization.
Rubio announced on the 22nd that he would comprehensively restructure the Department of State, streamlining institutions and reducing personnel to save costs and improve efficiency.
According to the personal profile introduction on the U.S. Department of State website, Hanrahan earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Harvard University and Stanford University respectively. His career began at McKinsey & Company, where he was an investor with Bain Capital’s North American Private Equity team, and he also served as a policy advisor to the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee led by Rubio.
Two unnamed officials of the U.S. Department of State told Reuters that some staff are concerned about Hanrahan's apparent lack of relevant work experience.
The head of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs usually handles U.S. diplomatic affairs with European countries, and is generally held by an official confirmed by the Senate. Since the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, officials holding this position have played a key role in U.S. handling of issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict. A "senior official" is equivalent to an acting head.
In Reuters' view, this personnel change occurs amid increasingly tense U.S.-European relations. Since Donald Trump took office as U.S. president in January, the U.S. government has significantly adjusted its foreign policy, including bypassing Ukraine and European allies to engage with Russia, pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine, and easing many sanctions imposed by the previous Joseph Biden administration against Russia, which has caused dissatisfaction among Ukraine and European countries. Trump demanded that European allies bear more defense responsibilities and repeatedly made territorial claims on Greenland, exacerbating U.S.-European divisions.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7497530021247009289/
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