The longer President Donald Trump remains in office, the harder it is, it seems, for diplomats to remain diplomatic. Ambassadors who normally keep their opinions to themselves are becoming increasingly vocal—and more than ever are paying for that honesty with their jobs.
The latest example of this is Kevin Rudd, Australia’s outspoken former prime minister and now former ambassador to the United States.
In 2020—long before Trump began ranting about ousting Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro or “taking back” Greenland from the Danes—Rudd had publicly labeled Trump “the most destructive president in history,” a “village idiot” and a “traitor to the West.”
On Jan. 13, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced, without elaborating, that Rudd would resign his post at the end of March—a year earlier than expected.
Three days later, SkyNews columnist Louise Roberts had this to say: “Rudd was dispatched to Washington in March 2023 carrying more baggage than a Qantas A380 … He had practically built a second career out of deriding Mr. Trump. Then he tried to erase the evidence, triggering an endless debate about whether the president would harbor a grudge and exactly how it would hurt US-Australia relations.”
Well of course, Trump harbored a grudge—along with many others. But at this point, it’s not clear who might replace Rudd in one of Australia’s most important overseas postings.
At any rate, Roberts said her country “cannot afford another ambassador who is persona non grata in the Oval Office.”
“What we need now, more than ever, is an operator capable of holding Trump’s attention and earning his trust because what he responds to is loyalty and the subtle art of ego management,” Roberts wrote. “It is strategically inept to pretend otherwise and the worst possible thing now would be for Albanese to reward a Labor Party ally in his favorite faction with this plum job.”
Rudd isn’t the first ambassador to have a falling-out with Trump.
Last year, the White House yanked the credentials of Ebrahim Rasool, who had returned to Embassy Row in January for a second stint as South Africa’s ambassador to the United States; he previously had that job from 2010 to 2015. That followed Rasool’s harsh criticism of a plan to cut off $440 million in US federal funding to South Africa following passage of an expropriation law that Trump said discriminates against white farmers.
Christian Turner replaces Peter Mandelson as top UK envoy
As if that’s not enough, back in September, Peter Mandelson, Britain’s outspoken ambassador to the United States, was fired by his own government after barely half a year on the job, following the discovery of emails that revealed the extent of his personal ties with disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
At the time, the New York Times reported that Mandelson’s dismissal “cast a shadow” over Trump’s upcoming state visit to London. In justifying the firing, the Foreign Office singled out a 2008 email from Mandelson to Epstein in which he appeared to feel sorry for Epstein following his conviction for soliciting sex from a minor.
Curiously, in 2018, the year after Trump’s first inauguration, reported BBC News, Mandelson had told the Evening Standard that the new president was a “bully.” And in 2019, speaking with an Italian journalist, he described Trump as “reckless” and “a danger to the world.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has since replaced Mandelson with career diplomat Christian Turner. In an announcement, he said: “The United Kingdom and United States have a very special relationship, and Christian’s extensive experience as an outstanding diplomat will support this uniquely close bond and ensure it continues to flourish.”
Turner, who has not yet presented his credentials, began his foreign service career in 1997, serving as first secretary at the British Embassy in Washington (2002-06), and later as director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Foreign and Commercial Office (2009-12).
Subsequent postings include that of British high commissioner to Kenya (2012-15), and head of the London-Syria Conference in February 2016; international affairs advisor and deputy national security advisor to the prime minister (2017-19), and British high commissioner to Pakistan (2019-23).
“Our two countries share an historic partnership rooted in common values, shared security and deep economic ties,” Turner said. “At a pivotal time for the transatlantic relationship, I look forward to working with President Trump’s administration, and leaders in Congress, business and society to strengthen that bond in the years ahead.”
Canadian PM Carney appoints friend Mark Wiseman ambassador
One of the most enduring bilateral relationships in modern history is that of the United States and Canada. But this relationship is being tested like never before, as Trump continues a nonstop stream of insults against the world’s second-largest country in size—even publicly stating his desire to make Canada the 51st state.
In the midst of this potential diplomatic minefield, prominent financier Mark Wiseman will replace Kirsten Hillman as Canada’s ambassador to the United States. Wiseman’s appointment, effective Feb. 15, coincides with an upcoming review of the US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade pact that Trump negotiated during his first term in office.
Wiseman, 55, ran the investment fund of the Canada Pension Plan and also managed equity funds at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. He is a friend of Prime Minister Mark Carney, who ran the Bank of Canada (2008-13) as well as the Bank of England (2013-20).
“Mark Wiseman brings immense experience, contacts and deep commitment at this crucial time of transformation of our relationship with the United States,” Carney said in a statement. “As a core member of our negotiating team, he will help advance the interests of Canadian workers, businesses and institutions.”
Formerly senior managing director and global head of active equities at BlackRock—the world’s largest asset manager—Wiseman, who’s from Niagara Falls, Ontario, has since headed the Alberta Investment Management Corp. He has no prior diplomatic experience.
Canada is the top export destination for 36 US states, while about 60% of US crude oil imports are from Canada, as are 85% of US electricity imports. It’s also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to its southern neighbor.
David Paterson, Ontario’s top representative in the US, welcomed Wiseman’s appointment in an interview with CBC News, though politicians in neighboring Quebec are not supportive at all.
Pascal Paradis, a Parti Québécois member of the provincial National Assembly, said his nomination is “unacceptable.” Speaking at a news conference in Quebec City, Paradis said “the Parti Québécois will never accept the nomination of Mark Wiseman as Canada’s ambassador to the US. Why? Because Mark Wiseman is not a friend of the Quebec nation.”
Other newcomers to Embassy Row
Meanwhile, Angolan diplomat Constância Adelina Gaspar has replaced Hilda Suka-Mafudze as permanent representative of the 55-member African Union in Washington.
Gaspar becomes the fourth woman to hold the post. Angolan Foreign Minister Téte António called the appointment “a source of great pride and satisfaction”—and a significant milestone not only for Angola, but for the Portuguese-speaking world in general.
Adnan bin Haji Mohd Ja’afar has filled the long-vacant position of US-based ambassador from Brunei Darussalam, a tiny oil-rich sultanate surrounded by Malaysia and home to around 466,000 people. Adnan has not yet presented his credentials.
Jan Havránek has been named to replace Miloslav Stašek later this year as Czech ambassador to the United States.
Havránek, a foreign policy expert with 20 years of experience in transatlantic security, strategic leadership and defense, is currently deputy chief of mission at the Czech Embassy in Washington. Before that, he was the country’s deputy to Defense Minister Jana Cernochova (2020-22). In that position, he led international cooperation, defense planning and crisis response during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kabul evacuation and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Dwisuryo Indroyono Soesilo has begun work as Indonesia’s new ambassador to the US—filling a post that had remained vacant since the departure of Rosan Roeslani in July 2023.
With 285 million people, Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country. Indroyono’s arrival comes at a tense time in bilateral ties after the White House threatened to impose 32% tariffs on Indonesian goods.
In October 2025, Magzhan Ilyassov replaced Ashikbayev Yerzhan as Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the United States. The former Soviet republic ranks as the world’s ninth-largest country by size, yet is home to only 19 million people.
Kang Kyung-wha has replaced Cho Hyun-dong as South Korea’s first female ambassador to the United States, effective Oct. 1, 2025. At the time of her appointment, Kang—a prominent diplomat and politician—was president and CEO of the New York-based Asia Society.
In 2017, Kang became South Korea’s first woman ever to serve as foreign minister, as well as the first foreign minister to join her country’s official delegation for an inter-Korean summit and travel to Pyongyang.
Also in October, Yvette Ngandu Kapinga took up her new post as ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Ngandu was formerly commissioner for gender promotion, human and social development at the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in Libreville, Gabon (2020-25).
Ngandu was previously senior Africa program manager at the New York-based International Peace Institute (2003-08). Before that, she worked at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Voice of America and the US State Department, all in Washington DC.
Other new ambassador appointments include:
Nestor E. Mendez as ambassador of Belize, for the second time. Most recently, Mendez was assistant secretary-general of the 34-member Organization of American States (2015-25). During his first stint as ambassador to both the US and the OAS (2008-15), he played a pivotal role in Belize-Guatemala border negotiations. Mendez is fluent in English and Spanish, with a working knowledge of French and Portuguese.
Antonis Alexandridis as ambassador of Greece. Alexandridis, born in 1969, has a law degree from the University of Athens and a master of laws from Cambridge. He joined the Greek diplomatic service in 1997 and has held a series of posts throughout Europe, and was most recently Greek ambassador to the Philippines (2019-22), the United Arab Emirates (2022-25) and France (2025).
Wilbard Hellao as ambassador of Namibia. In an official statement, the embassy said Hellao’s Dec. 16, 2025, presentation of credentials “reaffirms the longstanding and cordial relations between Namibia and the United States” and “underscores the shared commitment of both countries to strengthening bilateral cooperation, mutual respect and partnership in areas of common interest.”
Christopher Seed as ambassador of New Zealand. Seed, who was most recently New Zealand’s acting high commissioner to the United Kingdom, replaces Rosemary Banks as his country’s ambassador here.
Vivianne Fock Tave as ambassador of Seychelles. At the Dec. 16, 2025, White House ceremony where she presented her credentials to Trump, Fock Tave said that the June 2023 opening of the US Embassy in Victoria—capital of her African island nation of 130,000—“was a significant and welcome step toward deepening the engagements between our two countries.”
