At midday on Monday, March 17, 2025, Yuri Kim set foot in the U.S. State Department for the last time. It was her final day in office, as she surrendered all credentials related to her position as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Euro-Asia.
Her dismissal order was signed by Secretary Rubio on Friday, March 14, 2025. However, Kim was granted the right to collect her belongings and return her credentials the following Monday.
Qualified sources told Hashtag.al that Kim was offered a “negotiated dismissal” deal, which she accepted.
This agreement ensured that she would voluntarily step down while receiving her salary for the next six months (until September). In return, any ongoing administrative investigations against her would be dropped.
The deal, however, does not extend to criminal investigations—it only covers administrative inquiries related to the State Department’s rules and obligations.
On the same date, Michael Kasanoff, a trusted associate and subordinate of Yuri Kim, was also dismissed. Kasanoff had visited Tirana in the second half of December 2024, officially attending the ceremony marking the 5th anniversary of SPAK’s establishment.
The dismissals of Yuri Kim and Alexander Kasanoff closely resemble the removals of judges and prosecutors in Tirana, who were also given the opportunity to leave voluntarily through negotiated agreements.
Both names have been erased from the State Department’s electronic records. Despite the formal nature of her resignation, Kim’s negotiated departure is effectively a permanent expulsion from the U.S. diplomatic system.
The same high-level sources told Hashtag.al that Kim had been under an extensive administrative investigation regarding conflicts of interest and violations related to issues involving Iran and Turkey. / Hashtag.al
