WASA Statement In Support of U.S. Ambassador
Yovanovitch-- Press Release
Women Ambassadors Serving America (WASA) is an organization of over 170 current and former
U.S. ambassadors who have served faithfully under both Republican and Democratic
administrations. The undersigned members of WASA call upon the President of the United States
to ensure that no American diplomat at any level is singled out for retribution for partisan, political
reasons. Similarly, we call upon Secretary of State Pompeo to follow the procedures and standards
of the U.S. Department of State and to ensure that our country’s professional Foreign Service
Officers- who swear an oath to uphold the Constitution - never suffer retaliation for political
reasons.
President Trump's reported remarks regarding former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie “Masha”
Yovanovitch in a July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as presented
in the memorandum of conversation released by the White House last week, raise serious concerns.
In particular, denigrating the Ambassador and stating that “she’s going to go through some things”
suggests that it might be an intention to punish the Ambassador for unspecified actions. This
appears to be a threat of retaliation for political reasons, which is both shocking and inappropriate.
These statements demean and threaten Ambassador Yovanovitch, who already was removed
prematurely from her post in May for similarly opaque reasons driven by false reporting and
innuendo, despite her very strong record of speaking out clearly and firmly against corruption in
Ukraine.
Ambassador Yovanovitch is a highly respected Senior Foreign Service Officer who has served the
United States with remarkable commitment and distinction under numerous Republican and
Democratic administrations. Throughout her distinguished 33- year career, she has consistently
supported the interests and national security of the United States and she has been nominated by
the President and confirmed as Ambassador by the U.S. Senate on three separate occasions - to
Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Ukraine.
For U.S. diplomacy to be an effective instrument of statecraft, it is vital that the non-partisan, nonpolitical work of the dedicated public servants of the U.S. Department of State be respected and
honored – just as we honor the contributions of U.S. military service members and other
government colleagues. That respect must begin at the highest levels of U.S. leadership, and be

 communicated consistently to international audiences, in private as well as public communication.
To do otherwise is to undercut U.S. diplomatic efforts and the safety of U.S. personnel worldwide.

Signatories:
Piper Anne Wind Campbell, Ambassador (retired)
Teresita C. Schaffer, former Ambassador to Sri Lanka
Laura Kennedy, former Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament and to Turkmenistan
Ambassador (Ret.) Janet A Sanderson
Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis
Ambassador (Ret. ) Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley
Michele Thoren Bond, Former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho
Carmen Lomellin, Ambassador to the OAS 2009-2014
Ambassador Lisa Kubiske (ret.)
Ambassador Nancy McEldowney
Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to the U.N. (2013-2017)
Ambassador (ret) Maura Connelly
Ambassador (ret.) Shari Villarosa
Azita Raji, former US Ambassador to Sweden
Mary Burce Warlick, former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia
Ambassador (ret) Deborah K Jones
Ambassador Dennise Mathieu (Ret.)
Vicki Huddleston, former Ambassador to Madagascar and Mali
Ambassador (retired) Leslie Bassett
Robin L. Raphel, former Ambassador to Tunisia
Nancy Ely-Raphel. Former US Ambassador to Slovenia
Ambassador (retired) Doria Rosen
Ambassador (Ret.) Judith B Cefkin
Ambassador ret.) Frances D. Cook
Elizabeth Raspolic, former Ambassador to Gabon & Sao Tomé + Príncipe
Ambassador (ret) Dana Shell Smith
Ambassador Bisa Williams (ret)
Aurelia E. Brazeal, Former Ambassador to The Federated States of Micronesia, to Kenya and to
Ethiopia
Ambassador (ret) Elinor G. Constable

 Ambassador (ret) Avis Bohlen
Ambassador Beth Jones (ret), former Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia
Prudence Bushnell, former Ambassador to Kenya and Guatemala
Ambassador Dawn Liberi (ret)
Melanne Verveer, former US Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues
Ambassador (ret.) Nina Hachigian
Ambassador (ret.) Julie Furuta-Toy
Ambassador (ret) Linda Jewell
Laurie S. Fulton, former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark
Susan M. Elliott, former Ambassador to Tajikistan
Eileen A. Malloy, U.S. Ambassador (ret)
Crystal Nix-Hines, former Ambassador to UNESCO
Ambassador (ret) Adrienne S. O’Neal
Ambassador (ret.) Patricia M. Hawkins
Ambassador (retired) Pamela Hamamoto
Ambassador (ret.) Heather Hodges
Ambassador (ret.) June Carter Perry
Ambassador (ret.) Anne Hall
Ambassador (ret.) Patricia Mioller
Nancy Bikoff Pettit, former Ambassador to Latvia
Ambassador Catherin Ebert-Gray; The views expressed are my own and not necessarily those of
the USG
Suzan LeVine, former Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Ambassador (ret.) Marcelle M. Wahba