Senate confirms new U.S. ambassador to Russia

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has voted overwhelmingly to confirm the new U.S. ambassador to Russia. The vote to confirm Lynne M. Tracy as the new ambassador came hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was expected to arrive Wednesday in Washington for a historic visit. Senators voted to 93-2 to confirm the career diplomat in what some viewed as a signal of the American commitment to war-torn Ukraine as it confronts Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the new ambassador will be tasked with “standing up to Putin.”