UN names Russian diplomat to lead European HQ

Russian diplomat Tatiana Valovaya has been named the next director-general of the UN office at Geneva, making the former journalist the first woman appointed to run the world body’s European headquarters. The appointment by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres restores Russian leadership to a role held by Russian diplomats for nearly two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union (1993-2011). Her nomination comes at a time when Russia is bolstering its influence within the UN in Geneva, filling some of the void left by Washington, which under President Donald Trump has increasingly disengaged.