Six Out of Ten U.S. Ambassador Posts Vacant Under Second Trump Administration... Diplomacy Increasingly Driven by Special Envoys

Since the launch of the second Trump Administration, the number of vacant U.S. ambassadorial posts has reached an unusually high level. Even in major allied countries and key nations involved in disputes, ambassadorial posts remain unfilled, leading to a greater reliance on special envoys in diplomacy.

AFP Yonhap News

On May 14 (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing data from the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), reported that 115 out of a total of 195 U.S. ambassadorial positions are currently vacant. This amounts to a vacancy rate of 59%.

This is a higher level compared to previous administrations. During a similar period in the first Trump Administration, 45 out of 188 ambassadorial posts were vacant, resulting in a vacancy rate of 24%. In 2015, during the second Obama Administration, only 12 out of 187 ambassadorial positions were unfilled.

By region, the vacancy issue is particularly pronounced in Africa. Out of 51 African countries, 37 currently have no U.S. ambassador. In the Middle East, key posts in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Iraq remain vacant. No formal ambassadors have been appointed to Russia or Ukraine either.

The post of U.S. Ambassador to South Korea has also been vacant for over a year. Michelle Steel, nominated by President Trump, is scheduled for a Senate confirmation hearing on the 20th of this month.

Slow nomination procedures and delays in congressional confirmation have been cited as reasons for the vacancies. The WSJ also analyzed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision last December to recall around 30 career diplomats serving as ambassadors back to the U.S. has contributed to the situation.

Diplomatic circles have expressed concerns that operating under chargé d'affaires instead of formal ambassadors could weaken access to high-ranking local officials and reduce crisis management capabilities. There are also warnings that without the title and political weight of an ambassador, U.S. influence in host countries could diminish.

On the other hand, the Trump Administration maintains that the lack of ambassadors does not pose a major problem for the implementation of foreign policy. President Trump is managing multiple issues simultaneously, such as negotiations with Iran and the war in Ukraine, by utilizing close aides like Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as special envoys.

A State Department spokesperson stated that the current administration is committed to advancing its "America First" diplomatic agenda, and that the committee responsible for appointing career ambassadors is being reorganized. According to the WSJ, more than 20 ambassadorial nominees are currently awaiting confirmation in the Senate.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.