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Lynn Tracy was the US Ambassador to Moscow from 2023 to 2025. Tracy says that working as ambassador to Russia was probably the most difficult task of her entire career.
There was a time when diplomats from American, British and other European countries played an important role in Russia. Even during the most tense period of the Cold War, he helped in reducing tension between the two sides.
But now the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin considers these diplomats from Western countries as representatives of 'unfriendly' countries. Ambassadors of Western countries are constantly monitored.
They are isolated and their distance from the country they have been sent there to understand is increasing. Meanwhile, the Ukraine war has entered its fifth year.
The BBC has spoken to five diplomats who have worked in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion.
These diplomats say that the pressure of the present era reminds them of the times of Cold War. Even during that period, the embassies of western countries were kept under surveillance.
Devices used to listen to conversations were hidden in gifts and 'spy powder' was used to keep an eye on the activities of officials.
It was a chemical substance which was almost invisible and through which the identity of the officers and their activities were detected.
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After the war between Russia and Ukraine started in the year 2022, America and European countries expelled hundreds of Russian diplomats from their countries. In response, Russia also declared hundreds of Western diplomats as 'undesirable persons'. Due to this, there was a huge shortage of staff in the embassies of many countries.
Tracy has worked in many countries including Pakistan in her 30-year diplomatic career. In 2008, she narrowly escaped an armed attack in Peshawar, Pakistan.
But he says that despite there being always a threat to his life, his work in Peshawar was in some ways easier than in Russia.
He said, "There I felt that some things were under my control. What made the job more difficult in Moscow was that there was a lot of uncertainty about everything."
He remembers that the constant spying and surveillance by Russia was the biggest reason for this uncertainty.
Fear of espionage in Russia
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Russian diplomats posted in Western countries also complain of similar discrimination. But diplomats who spoke to the BBC say that the scope of Russia's intelligence agencies and their modus operandi is much broader.
A former European diplomat says he was warned before going to Moscow: "Be prepared for spying equipment. Be prepared to have cameras in every room of your house."
Another former ambassador says that he had to fire two Russian employees.
In fact, Russia's domestic security agency Federal Security Service (FSB) had tried to unite these two. He was asked to inform the agency about every activity taking place in the embassy.
But instead of supporting the FSB, these two employees informed the embassy about this. After this the embassy removed him from his job. According to the former ambassador, "If this was not done, he could have faced some kind of legal action."
Meanwhile, those Russians who were usually in contact with diplomats from Western countries are also facing pressure and intimidation. Among them are people associated with universities and people involved in cultural activities. They are asked not to have contact with Western officials.
A former ambassador says that once some of his guests were chased by FSB officers.
In June this year, guests who had come to attend a program organized at the British Ambassador's residence in Moscow on the occasion of the birthday of the British King had also made a similar complaint.
He said that pro-Kremlin activists and state media journalists harassed him. After this the police also interrogated him.
One of these guests said that since this incident, he has rejected invitations to many programs of the embassies of western countries out of fear.
Not everyone can tolerate this kind of pressure.
According to a former ambassador, many officials left their jobs due to the environment of constant suspicion and surveillance. He told that even several months after leaving Russia, he would repeatedly look back to see if anyone was following him.
'War is the test of generals and diplomacy is the test of diplomats'
Image source, Reuters
Former French Ambassador Pierre Levy says that immediately after Russia's attack on Ukraine, discussions began across Europe on whether ambassadors should be recalled from Russia or their work there should be stopped completely.
He remembers that he immediately contacted his government in Paris and said that it would be a mistake to recall the diplomats. He believed that as relations between the two sides worsen, the presence of diplomats will become even more important.
Another former European ambassador says that the entire nature of his work changed very soon after the Russian attack. The kind of cooperation required for normal relations, trade and joint projects between the two countries was no longer possible.
The diplomats who stayed in Russia also faced many new challenges. Now his work was not limited to just helping the citizens and companies of his country.
The first priority was to keep at least one channel of dialogue open with Russian officials for those countries which Moscow considered 'unfriendly' countries. This was necessary so that they could continue to get accurate information about what was happening inside Russia.
Along with this, he had to take care of the safety of his embassy staff and also continue the functioning of the embassies.
In 2021, Russia had banned the hiring of foreign citizens. After this, there was a huge shortage of employees in the service and maintenance department of the American Embassy.
Even a minor leakage of water in a pipe could become a major problem and take up a lot of diplomatic staff's time.
One diplomat remembers talking to a Russian official about the staff shortage. That officer advised him not to worry too much about it.
According to the diplomat, the officer said, "At least you still have the cook."
Financial sanctions imposed by Western governments in support of Ukraine created many more difficulties in everyday life.
After access to the SWIFT payment system of Russian banks was closed and the services of Mastercard and Visa in Russia were suspended, many embassies started having trouble in running their daily expenses.
A former ambassador remembers that his embassy ran out of cash and it became difficult to pay salaries to the staff. Meanwhile, another diplomat was expelled from Russia and was trying to sell his car. He packed the rubles he got from selling the car in a suitcase and brought it to the embassy.
The diplomat laughs, "It was all complete madness. But you had to take it with a laugh."
Image source: Getty Images
Government contacts between Russia and Western countries are almost over, in such a situation the role of diplomats in maintaining relations becomes more important.
Russian officials do not hide their attitude towards diplomats from Western countries.
He has openly accused diplomats of 'unfriendly' countries of 'spying'.
Moscow has been particularly critical of diplomats who show any interest in or attention to the Kremlin's opposition. According to Russian journalist Alexei Vendiktov, Russian authorities have almost stopped most of their country's government officials from talking to the embassies of Western countries.
Vendiktov says that this has further deteriorated relations with Western countries.
He remembers telling Russian officials, "Because of your own actions, you are not being understood properly, because the ambassador is not able to do his job."
A former ambassador to Europe says that today Moscow has almost no contact with many western governments.
"There is neither phone conversation nor any meeting at the level of ministers."
However, he says that in this situation the importance of diplomats has increased further, because it is still their responsibility to convey the attitude of their governments to Moscow.
"Generals show what they can do in war. It's the same with diplomats. When things get really tough, every little thing you do counts."
Lynn Tracy left Moscow in 2025. At that time he felt that he had completed his main work. The American Embassy was still functioning.
But he is also proud of the work he and his team have done to maintain contacts between American citizens and ordinary Russians.
She says, "Because a time will come when there will be an opportunity to improve relations between the governments of the two countries. Then these people-to-people relationships will help in accelerating that improvement."
Published by Collective Newsroom for the BBC.
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