In one of his last actions, David Pressman announced that the US had placed the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office on a sanctions list.Continue reading
The U.S. Embassy in Budapest announced on its website that senior diplomat Robert Palladino will assume leadership as Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, effective March 7. “In this role, he will strengthen the United States-Hungary relationship and advance policies that promote America’s security, sovereignty, and prosperity,” the statement read.
“Mr. Palladino will lead Embassy Budapest’s engagement with the Hungarian government and people on behalf of the Trump Administration and the Secretary of State, pending the nomination of a new U.S. Ambassador by the President, Senate confirmation, and the Ambassador’s arrival in Budapest,” the embassy wrote.
Mr. Palladino is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, with extensive experience in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Most recently, he served as Deputy Executive Secretary in the Office of the Secretary of State, directly supporting the secretary as part of the senior management team.
He has led overseas missions, including as U.S. Consul General to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
CG Palladino visited HKN’s sites in #Dohuk. Long-term U.S. investment demonstrates our commitment to the #Iraqi_Kurdistan_Region and the communities in which they work. pic.twitter.com/7DP7gXRMMn
— U.S. Consulate General Erbil (@USCGERBIL) October 2, 2021
During President Trump’s first term, he played a key role in shaping U.S. foreign policy as Chief of Staff to then-Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E. Biegun, Deputy Spokesperson for the Department of State, and Director of Strategic Communications and Acting Spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House. In that capacity, he worked closely with Michael Anton, then-Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, then-White House Press Secretary.
Before joining the Department of State, he was an officer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG), practicing law in Asia and Europe.
He holds degrees from the University of Notre Dame, Washington & Lee University School of Law, and the U.S. Army War College. He speaks Mandarin Chinese and Italian and is married with two daughters.
However, the identity of who will become former US Ambassador David Pressman’s permanent successor remains unclear.
Via US Embassy in Hungary, Featured photo via Pixabay