Quote of the Day

"I had always thought that our institutions would forever protect us against individual transgressors. But it turns out that our institutions need us as much as we need them."

-Marie Yovanovich

Marie Louise "Masha" Yovanovitch (born November 11, 1958) is an American diplomat and member of the senior ranks of the United States Foreign Service. She served in multiple State Department posts, including Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2004–2005); U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan (2005–2008); U.S. Ambassador to Armenia (2008–2011); Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (2012–2013); and Ambassador to Ukraine (2016–2019). Yovanovitch is a diplomat in residence at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. On January 31, 2020 it was reported that she has retired from the State Department.