Germany appoints senior lawmaker with governing party as ambassador to Russia

BERLIN (AP) — Germany has appointed a senior lawmaker with one of the country’s governing parties as its new ambassador to Russia, handing him the delicate diplomatic post as tensions spiral over Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that Russia has given its formal approval for Alexander Lambsdorff to become ambassador, a necessary step before he can take the post. It says he is expected to start work this summer. Lambsdorff, 56, has experience in Germany’s diplomatic service, which he joined in 1995. He worked in the Foreign Ministry’s Russia department in 2003 and 2004. In recent years, he has been better known as a prominent politician.