| Ambassador of the United States to Estonia | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the United States Department of State | |
 IncumbentGeorge P. Kent since February 21, 2023 | |
| Nominator | The President of the United States |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Inaugural holder | Frederick W.B. Coleman as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary |
| Formation | September 20, 1922 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy – Tallinn |
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Estonia.
The United States has maintained continuous official diplomatic relations with Estonia (as well as Latvia and Lithuania) since 1922, when one ambassador, resident in Riga, Latvia, was appointed to all three nations. Relations with the three nations were broken after the Soviet invasion of the republics in 1940 at the beginning of World War II. The United States never recognized the legitimacy of the Soviet occupation of the three Baltic nations, nor the legitimacy of the governments of those states under Soviet occupation. Hence, diplomatic relations were not resumed until 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The U.S. Embassy in Estonia is located in Tallinn.
Ambassadors
| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick W. B. Coleman – Political appointee | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | September 20, 1922 | November 20, 1922 | Left Riga October 20, 1931 | During Coleman’s tenure as nonresident Minister, the Legation in Tallinn was established on June 30, 1930 with Harry E. Carlson as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. |
| Robert Peet Skinner – Career FSO | September 23, 1931 | April 2, 1932 | Left Riga April 29, 1933 | ||
| John Van Antwerp MacMurray – Career FSO | August 28, 1933 | January 4, 1934 | Left Riga February 12, 1936 | ||
| Arthur Bliss Lane – Career FSO | January 24, 1936 | September 10, 1936 | Left Riga September 16, 1937 | ||
| Frederick A. Sterling – Career FSO | August 9, 1937 | — | — | ||
| John C. Wiley – Career FSO | July 18, 1938 | November 24, 1938 | June 17, 1940 | Soviet forces occupied Tallinn and Riga on June 17, 1940, which effectively ended the U.S. diplomatic presence in those nations. The legation in Tallinn was officially closed, September 5, 1940. | |
| The United States announced its readiness to reestablish relations with Estonia on September 2, 1991. Embassy Tallinn was established on October 2, 1991, with Robert C. Frasure as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. He was subsequently commissioned as ambassador. The embassy was established in the same building on Kentmanni Street that had been the U.S. legation before the World War II. | |||||
| Robert C. Frasure – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | March 23, 1992 | April 9, 1992 | July 8, 1994 | The following officers served as chargés d’affaires ad interim: Keith Smith (July–December 1994), and Jon Gundersen (December 1994 – August 1995). |
| Lawrence P. Taylor – Career FSO | June 27, 1995 | August 3, 1995 | August 7, 1997 | ||
| Melissa Foelsch Wells – Career FSO | October 1, 1998 | November 3, 1998 | September 10, 2001 | ||
| Joseph M. DeThomas – Career FSO | November 5, 2001 | December 11, 2001 | July 7, 2004 | ||
| Aldona Wos – Political appointee | August 2, 2004 | September 2, 2004 | December 17, 2006 | ||
| Stanley Davis Phillips – Political appointee | March 21, 2007 | May 31, 2007 | January 16, 2009 | ||
| Karen B. Decker – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | January 16, 2009 | December 10, 2009 | ||
| Michael C. Polt – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | September 25, 2009 | December 10, 2009 | July 22, 2012 | |
| Robert S. Gilchrist – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | July 22, 2012 | September 17, 2012 | ||
| Jeffrey D. Levine – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | February 17, 2012 | September 17, 2012 | September 27, 2015 | |
| James D. Melville Jr. – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | May 7, 2015 | December 8, 2015 | July 29, 2018 | |
| Elizabeth Horst – Career FSO | Chargé d’Affaires ad interim | July 29, 2018 | August 2, 2019 | ||
| Brian Roraff - Career FSO | Chargé d’Affaires ad interim | August 2, 2019 | July 22, 2022 | ||
| Gabrielle Cowan - Career FSO | Chargé d’Affaires ad interim | July 22, 2022 | February 21, 2023 | ||
| George P. Kent - Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | December 21, 2022 | February 21, 2023 | Incumbent | |
See also
- Embassy of the United States, Tallinn
- Estonian Embassy, Washington, D.C.
- Estonia – United States relations
- Foreign relations of Estonia
- Ambassadors of the United States
Notes
- ^ The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, while resident in Riga, Latvia.
- Skinner was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 17, 1931.
- MacMurray was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 15, 1934.
- ^ The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Estonia and Latvia, while resident in Riga.
- Sterling took the oath of office but did not proceed to post.
- Source: U.S. Embassy in Tallinn: History of U.S. Relations with Estonia Archived 2013-01-27 at the Wayback Machine
- Wos was commissioned during a recess of the Senate.
References
- United States Department of State: Background notes on Estonia
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
External links
- United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Estonia
- United States Department of State: Estonia
- United States Embassy in Tallinn
