The United States never stops worrying about Russia. Ambassador Allan Mustard, a Russian speaker and agricultural specialist, has spent his career studying the old USSR and the new Russia from various angles. He spent several years living in the USSR, as a guide-interpreter for the U.S. International Communication Agency and then with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Later, in the new Russia, he served another 4 years as USDA’s Minister Counselor. Other senior USDA overseas postings included Istanbul, Vienna (covering several recently independent Eastern European countries) and New Delhi. From 2015-2019 (serving under Presidents Obama and Trump) he was the U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan, which continues to be closely allied to Russia. He most recently contributed a chapter on Russian agriculture for a book to be published by the Brookings Institution. Enjoy sharing views on this timely subject over a casual dinner.