Kurt Douglas Volker (born 1964) is an American diplomat and foreign policy expert who served as the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations from July 2017 to September 2019. Prior to this, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO from 2008 to 2009. His career has focused on European security, diplomacy, and transatlantic relations.
Early Life and Education Volker was born in Pennsylvania and earned a B.A. from Temple University and an M.A. from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. He also studied at the University of Cambridge.
Career Volker began his career as an intelligence analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1988 to 1989. He then transitioned to the U.S. State Department, serving in various capacities, including:
- Desk Officer for European security affairs (1990-1992)
- Second Secretary at the U.S. Mission to NATO (1992-1995)
- Director for NATO and Western European Affairs at the National Security Council (1998-1999)
- Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs (2005-2008)
From 2008 to 2009, Volker served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO under President George W. Bush and briefly under President Barack Obama. In this role, he played a significant part in navigating complex security issues within the alliance, including Russia's actions in Georgia.
After his ambassadorship, Volker transitioned to the private sector and various think tank roles. He became the Executive Director of the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), a non-profit, non-partisan public policy institution dedicated to transatlantic security.
U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations In July 2017, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson appointed Volker as the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations. In this role, he was tasked with coordinating U.S. diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists. He engaged in numerous discussions with Ukrainian, Russian, and European officials, advocating for a peaceful resolution based on the Minsk agreements and emphasizing the importance of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Impeachment Inquiry and Resignation Volker resigned from his position as Special Representative in September 2019, following revelations that he had been involved in communications central to the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. He was one of the first witnesses to testify before the House of Representatives during the inquiry. His testimony provided key insights into efforts by U.S. diplomats and others to pressure Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for a White House meeting and military aid. Volker stated he was not aware of a "quid pro quo" at the time but later expressed concern about the linkage of security assistance to investigations.
Post-Government Activities Since his resignation, Volker has continued his work in foreign policy as a distinguished fellow and advisor. He remains an active commentator on international relations, particularly concerning Eastern Europe, Russia, and transatlantic security.