Emily Haber

Emily Haber earned a doctorate in history and developed extensive experience with the Soviet Union and Russia through assignments in Moscow and at the Foreign Office. She also served in Ankara and worked on the OSCE and the Western Balkans. In 2009, she became the Foreign Office’s first female political director, followed in 2011 by its first female state secretary. ¹

Before Washington, Haber moved to the Interior Ministry, overseeing security and migration during Europe’s refugee crisis. Her responsibilities involved cooperation with American officials on terrorism, cyberattacks, and cybersecurity. In June 2018, she became the first woman to serve as Germany’s ambassador to the United States, a post she held until June 2023. ¹

Russia’s assault on Ukraine put German energy and security policy at the center of her public diplomacy. In a February 2022 NPR interview, Haber explained that Germany had coordinated with Washington over Nord Stream 2 and that Russian aggression had changed Berlin’s position. She acknowledged the economic costs of sanctions and defended continued efforts to test diplomacy while supporting Ukrainian sovereignty. ²