Jake Sullivan

{{Short description|American attorney and politician (born 1976)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Jake Sullivan

| image = Jake-Sullivan-WH.png

| caption = Official portrait, 2021

| office = 28th United States National Security Advisor

| president = Joe Biden

| deputy = Jonathan Finer

| term_start = January 20, 2021

| term_end = January 20, 2025

| predecessor = Robert C. O'Brien

| successor = Mike Waltz

| office1 = National Security Advisor to the Vice President

| vicepresident1 = Joe Biden

| term_start1 = February 26, 2013

| term_end1 = August 1, 2014

| predecessor1 = Antony Blinken

| successor1 = Colin Kahl

| office2 = 26th Director of Policy Planning

| president2 = Barack Obama

| term_start2 = February 4, 2011

| term_end2 = February 15, 2013

| predecessor2 = Anne-Marie Slaughter

| successor2 = David McKean

| birth_name = Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|11|28}}

| birth_place = Burlington, Vermont, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| spouse = {{marriage|Maggie Goodlander|2015}}

| education = Yale University (BA, JD)
Magdalen College, Oxford (MPhil)

}}

Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan (born November 28, 1976) is an American attorney who served as the U.S. National Security Advisor from 2021 to 2025 under president Joe Biden.

Sullivan previously served as Director of Policy to President Barack Obama, National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Biden and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Hillary Clinton at the U.S. Department of State. Sullivan also served as senior advisor to the U.S. federal government at the Iran nuclear negotiations and senior policy advisor to Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, as well as visiting professor at Yale Law School.

On November 23, 2020, President-elect Biden announced that Sullivan would be appointed the National Security Advisor. He took office on January 20, 2021.

Early life and education

Sullivan was born in Burlington, Vermont, to a family of Irish descentElise Labott, [https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/09/the-sullivan-model-jake-nsc-biden-adviser-middle-class/ "The Sullivan Model"], Foreign Policy, April 9, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2023. and grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota.{{Cite web|last=Gihring|first=Tim|url=https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2016/02/we-just-go-jake-how-southwest-high-grad-became-hillary-clinton-s-go-guy/|title='We just go to Jake': How a Southwest High grad became Hillary Clinton's go-to guy|date=February 9, 2016|website=MinnPost|access-date=November 16, 2020|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112170606/https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2016/02/we-just-go-jake-how-southwest-high-grad-became-hillary-clinton-s-go-guy/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last1=Bertrand|first1=Natasha|title=The inexorable rise of Jake Sullivan|date=November 27, 2020|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/27/jake-sullivan-biden-national-security-440814 |access-date=November 28, 2020|work=Politico|language=en}} His father worked for the Star Tribune and was a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and his mother was a high school guidance counselor. Sullivan attended Southwest High School in Minneapolis, where he graduated in 1994. He was a Coca-Cola Scholar, debate champion, president of the student council, and voted "most likely to succeed" in his class.

Educated in the United States and United Kingdom, Sullivan first attended Yale University, where he majored in international studies and political science and was awarded the Alpheus Henry Snow Prize.{{cite news |title=Scholastic Prizes |newspaper=Yale Bulletin & Calendar |year=1998 |volume=26 |number=33 |publisher=Yale Office of Public Affairs & Communications (Yale University) |url=http://www.yale.edu/opa/arc-ybc/ybc/v26.n33.news.12.html |access-date=May 19, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520141256/http://www.yale.edu/opa/arc-ybc/ybc/v26.n33.news.12.html |archive-date=May 20, 2015}} He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa his senior year and graduated summa cum laude with distinction in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts.{{Cite web|date=October 25, 2011|title=State Department Policy Planning Director and Hillary Clinton Advisor Jake Sullivan '03 Will Discuss American Leadership Friday|url=https://law.yale.edu/yls-today/news/state-department-policy-planning-director-and-hillary-clinton-advisor-jake-sullivan-03-will-discuss|access-date=November 23, 2020|publisher=Yale Law School|language=en}} Sullivan won a Rhodes Scholarship to attend Magdalen College, Oxford, where he studied international relations.{{cite web |title=Oxford graduates in the new Biden Administration |url=https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/arts-blog/oxford-graduates-new-biden-administration |publisher=University of Oxford |access-date=May 23, 2024 |date=February 23, 2021}} He was also awarded a Marshall Scholarship, which he declined in favor of the Rhodes. While at Oxford, Sullivan served as a managing editor of the Oxford International Review. He graduated with a Master of Philosophy. He graduated with a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2003. He is a member, and former board member, of the Truman National Security Project.

At Yale, he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal, the Yale Law & Policy Review, and the Yale Daily News. He interned at the Council on Foreign Relations, was a member of the Yale Debate Association, and earned a Truman Scholarship in his junior year.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/jake-sullivan/gIQAqUNqAP_topic.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201142759/http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/jake-sullivan/gIQAqUNqAP_topic.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 1, 2012|title=Jake Sullivan|newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=December 24, 2013|date=July 23, 2012}} He also worked for Brookings Institution president Strobe Talbott at the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization.{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2011/01/25/jake-sullivan-to-become-state-department-director-of-policy-planning|title=Jake Sullivan to Become State Department Director of Policy Planning|last=Rogin|first=Josh|date=January 25, 2011|work=Foreign Policy|access-date=December 24, 2013|archive-date=December 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225141118/http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/01/25/jake_sullivan_to_become_state_department_director_of_policy_planning#sthash.GN6Dp8w5.dpbs|url-status=live}}

Early career

After graduating from law school, Sullivan clerked for Judge Guido Calabresi of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and then for Associate Justice Stephen Breyer of the United States Supreme Court.{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/vanishing-adviser-reappears-iran-policy-player-185811990--politics.html|title=Vanishing Adviser Reappears as Iran Policy Player|date=December 24, 2013|work=Yahoo! News|author=Pace, Julie|agency=Associated Press|access-date=December 24, 2013|archive-date=December 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224054324/http://news.yahoo.com/vanishing-adviser-reappears-iran-policy-player-185811990--politics.html|url-status=live}} After his clerkships, Sullivan returned to his hometown of Minneapolis to practice law at Faegre & Benson and taught law as an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law.{{cite news|url=http://www.minnpost.com/dc-dispatches/2013/11/jake-sullivan-minneapolis-native-among-those-hatch-iranian-nuclear-deal|title=Jake Sullivan: Minneapolis Native Among Those to Hatch Iranian Nuclear Deal|author=Henry, David|date=November 27, 2013|work=MinnPost|access-date=December 24, 2013|archive-date=December 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225135953/http://www.minnpost.com/dc-dispatches/2013/11/jake-sullivan-minneapolis-native-among-those-hatch-iranian-nuclear-deal|url-status=live}} After Faegre & Benson, Sullivan worked as chief counsel to Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar, who connected him to Hillary Clinton.

= Obama administration =

File:Barack Obama talking to Hillary Clinton in Phnom Penh.jpg and Barack Obama in November 2012]]

File:Secretary Clinton with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov (8202867294).jpg in November 2012]]

File:Barack Obama discussing the 2013 Boston Marathon explosions.jpg]]

In 2008, Sullivan was an advisor to Hillary Clinton during the primary cycle and then to Barack Obama during the general election campaign. He prepared Clinton and Obama for debates. When Clinton became secretary of state, Sullivan was named her deputy chief of staff{{Cite news|last=Nather|first=David|date=April 14, 2015|title=Clinton names top 3 wonks for campaign|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/clinton-names-top-three-wonks-for-campaign-116975|access-date=November 28, 2020|website=Politico|language=en}} and Director of Policy Planning, and traveled with her to 112 countries.{{cite news|last1=Landler|first1=Mark|author-link=Mark Landler|title=Biden Adviser Leaving Washington, but It May Not Be for Long|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/21/us/for-departing-biden-aide-and-clinton-confidant-another-political-choice-looms.html?_r=1|access-date=December 11, 2016|work=The New York Times|date=June 20, 2014|quote=he was one of Hillary Rodham Clinton's closest advisers, at her side in all 112 countries she visited as secretary of state.|archive-date=August 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816210449/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/21/us/for-departing-biden-aide-and-clinton-confidant-another-political-choice-looms.html?_r=1|url-status=live}} In 2012, Sullivan approvingly wrote that Al-Qaeda "was on our side in Syria" to Clinton.{{cite book|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2021|title=After the Arab Uprisings|page=207|isbn=9781108429832|quote=a 2012 "Syria update" email from Jacob (Jake) Sullivan to Hillary Clinton approvingly wrote that "AQ is on our side in Syria," referring to al-Qaeda leader al-Zuwahiri's "call on Muslims in Turkey and the Middle East to aid rebel forces."}} Clinton later joked that Sullivan was a potential future president of the United States.{{Cite news |last=Heil |first=Emily |date=June 28, 2023 |title=Hillary Clinton jokes about 'future president' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/post/hillary-clinton-jokes-about-future-president/2012/11/30/962b7d94-3b08-11e2-a263-f0ebffed2f15_blog.html |access-date=September 1, 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US}}

Sullivan worked in the Obama administration as deputy assistant to the president and National Security Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden. He became Biden's top security aide in February 2013 after Clinton stepped down as secretary of state.{{cite press release|title=Vice President Biden Announces Jake Sullivan as New National Security Advisor|publisher=The White House, Office of the Vice President|date=February 26, 2013|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/26/vice-president-biden-announces-jake-sullivan-new-national-security-advis|access-date=December 24, 2013|archive-date=February 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216161412/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/26/vice-president-biden-announces-jake-sullivan-new-national-security-advis|url-status=live}} In those posts, he played a role in shaping U.S. foreign policy towards Libya, Syria, and Myanmar.

On June 20, 2014, The New York Times reported that Sullivan was leaving the administration in August 2014 to teach at Yale Law School. {{As of |2020|}}, he was a nonresident senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.{{Cite web|url=https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/1335|title=Jake Sullivan|publisher=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace|language=en|access-date=January 6, 2020|archive-date=November 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107100709/https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/1335|url-status=dead}}

==Iran nuclear negotiations==

In November 2013, the Associated Press reported that officials in the Obama administration had been in secret contact with Iranian officials throughout 2013 about the feasibility of an agreement over the Iranian nuclear program. The report stated that American officials, including Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns, Senior White House Iran Advisor Puneet Talwar, and Sullivan, had secretly met with their Iranian counterparts at least five times face to face in Oman.{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/report-claims-secret-us-iran-talks-laid-groundwork-for-nuclear-deal/|title=Report Claims Secret US–Iran Talks Laid Groundwork for Nuclear Deal|date=November 24, 2013|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Fox News Channel|access-date=November 25, 2013|archive-date=October 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022102116/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/11/24/report-claims-secret-us-iran-talks-laid-groundwork-for-nuclear-deal/|url-status=live}} Those efforts paved the way for the Geneva interim agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, known officially as the Joint Plan of Action, signed by Iran and the P5+1 countries in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 24, 2013.{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/timeline-key-events-us-iran-negotiations-051720553--politics.html|title=A Timeline of Key Events in US–Iran Negotiations|date=November 25, 2004|agency=Associated Press|work=Yahoo! News|access-date=December 24, 2013|archive-date=December 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209053119/http://news.yahoo.com/timeline-key-events-us-iran-negotiations-051720553--politics.html|url-status=live}}

Since then, Sullivan has regularly attended bilateral consultations with Iran in Geneva as a member of the U.S. delegation on the Iran nuclear negotiations.{{cite press release|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/230359.htm|title=U.S. Delegation Travel to Geneva for Talks With Iran on Its Nuclear Program|date=August 6, 2014|publisher=U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesperson|access-date=September 6, 2014|archive-date=January 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121040540/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/230359.htm|url-status=live}}{{cite press release|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/09/231261.htm|title=U.S. Delegation Travel to Geneva for Talks With Iran on Its Nuclear Program|date=September 3, 2014|publisher=U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesperson|access-date=September 6, 2014|archive-date=January 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121130422/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/09/231261.htm|url-status=live}}

=2016 Clinton presidential campaign=

Sullivan was Hillary Clinton's chief foreign policy adviser during her 2016 bid for the presidency.{{Cite web |date=June 2, 2016 |url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-06022016-htmlstory.html |title=USC/Times poll: Sanders and Clinton locked in a tight race in final days before California primary |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=November 16, 2020 |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108115935/https://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-06022016-htmlstory.html |url-status=live}}

He was reported to be the only senior staffer who repeatedly suggested that Clinton should spend more time in Midwestern swing states during the election campaign. Clinton's failure to win those states was a key factor in her defeat.{{cite news|last1=Thrush|first1=Glenn|author-link=Glenn Thrush|title=10 Crucial Decisions That Reshaped America|date=December 9, 2016|url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/2016-presidential-election-10-moments-trump-clinton-214508|access-date=December 11, 2016|work=Politico|quote=He was also the only one of the dozen aides who dialed in for Clinton's daily scheduling call who kept on asking if it wasn't a good idea for her to spend more time in the Midwestern swing states in the closing days of the campaign.|archive-date=December 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211123139/http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/2016-presidential-election-10-moments-trump-clinton-214508|url-status=live}} Sullivan was prominent in many of the Podesta emails released during the 2016 US presidential election, including Sullivan questioning if Democratic primary candidate Martin O'Malley's 100% clean energy by 2050 plan was "realistic".{{cite news |last1=Cooper |first1=Ryan |date=October 26, 2016 |title=This hacked Clinton campaign email shows why 'serious' people just don't get climate change |url=https://theweek.com/articles/657422/hacked-clinton-campaign-email-shows-why-serious-people-just-dont-climate-change |work=The Week |access-date=May 5, 2020 |archive-date=August 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810163536/https://theweek.com/articles/657422/hacked-clinton-campaign-email-shows-why-serious-people-just-dont-climate-change |url-status=live}} After the election, Sullivan confessed to feeling "a keen sense of responsibility" for Clinton's defeat.{{Cite news|last=Jaffe|first=Greg|date=July 14, 2017|title=Lessons in disaster: A top Clinton adviser searches for meaning in a shocking loss|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/lessons-in-disaster-a-top-clinton-adviser-searches-for-meaning-in-a-shocking-loss/2017/06/30/6ca81022-5453-11e7-b38e-35fd8e0c288f_story.html|access-date=September 12, 2020|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=July 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714130754/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/lessons-in-disaster-a-top-clinton-adviser-searches-for-meaning-in-a-shocking-loss/2017/06/30/6ca81022-5453-11e7-b38e-35fd8e0c288f_story.html|url-status=live}} On March 24, 2022, former president Donald Trump sued numerous people including Clinton and Sullivan alleging a conspiracy by the Clinton campaign to invent the Russian collusion scandal.{{Cite web |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/03/24/trump-hillary-clinton-lawsuit-2016-election-russia |title=Trump sues Hillary Clinton and others over Russia collusion allegation |work=Axios |date=March 24, 2022}} The suit was dismissed on September 8, 2022, and on January 19, 2023, a federal judge imposed nearly $1 million in sanctions on Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba, calling the suit "completely frivolous".{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/20/trump-and-lawyers-sanctioned-almost-1-million-for-frivolous-lawsuit-against-hillary-clinton.html|title=Trump and lawyer sanctioned almost $1 million for 'frivolous' lawsuit against Hillary Clinton |publisher=CNBC |date=January 19, 2023}}

= Macro Advisory Partners and Microsoft =

After his work with the Clinton campaign, Sullivan joined Macro Advisory Partners, a risk advisory company, in January 2017; it paid him at least $135,000.{{cite news|last1=Guyer|first1=Jonathan|date=July 8, 2020|title=How a Biden Adviser Got a Gig With Uber|work=The American Prospect|url=https://prospect.org/world/biden-adviser-jake-sullivan-gig-with-uber/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721224307/https://prospect.org/world/biden-adviser-jake-sullivan-gig-with-uber/|archive-date=July 21, 2020}}{{Cite web|last=Schwartz|first=Brian|date=March 20, 2021|title=Biden's closest advisors have ties to big business and Wall Street with some making millions|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/20/bidens-closest-advisors-have-ties-to-big-business-with-some-making-millions.html|access-date=March 27, 2021|publisher=CNBC|language=en}} While at the London-based advisory firm, he advised a number of companies including Uber, Mastercard, Lego, as well as large investment groups such as Bank of America, Aviva, Standard Life Aberdeen, and Standard Chartered.{{cite magazine|url=https://prospect.org/power/biden-adviser-jake-sullivan-think-tanker-scholar-consultant/|title=Thinker, Tanker, Scholar, Consultant|date=March 25, 2021|magazine=The American Prospect|access-date=September 16, 2023}}{{Cite web|title=Watchdogs concerned about some Biden appointees' opaque consulting work|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/watchdogs-concerned-biden-appointees-opaque-consulting-work/story?id=75563844|access-date=April 11, 2021|publisher=ABC News|language=en}} Following the Clinton campaign, he joined the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire as a member of the faculty and senior fellow.{{Cite web|date=November 23, 2020|title=Biden Names UNH Faculty Member Jake Sullivan As National Security Advisor|url=https://www.nhpr.org/post/biden-names-unh-faculty-member-jake-sullivan-national-security-advisor#stream/0|access-date=January 19, 2021|publisher=New Hampshire Public Radio}}

Between 2017 and May 2020, Sullivan served on an advisory council for Microsoft; in 2020, he was paid $45,000 for this work.{{Cite news|last=Bose|first=Nandita|date=March 22, 2021|title=Biden aides had ties to large tech companies, disclosures show|language=en|publisher=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-tech-idUSKBN2BD0SB|access-date=March 27, 2021}} Given his role in crafting U.S. cyber security policy in the Biden administration, including overseeing the government's response to the January 2021 cyberattack on Microsoft, concerns have been raised about potential conflicts of interest.{{Cite news|last=Day|first=Chad|date=March 21, 2021|title=Biden White House's Ties to Big Tech Are Detailed in New Disclosures|language=en-US|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-white-houses-ties-to-big-tech-are-detailed-in-new-disclosures-11616291989|access-date=March 27, 2021|issn=0099-9660}}

National security advisor

File:Jake Sullivan with Meir Ben-Shabbat and Gilad Erdan (01).jpg and Israel's ambassador Gilad Erdan in April 2021]]

File:President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are briefed by their national security team.jpg, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the U.S. national security team, August 18, 2021]]

File:Jake Sullivan with Isaac Herzog.jpg, December 22, 2021]]

= 2021 =

On November 22, 2020, Sullivan was announced as Joe Biden's National Security Advisor.{{Cite news|last1=Pager|first1=Tyler|last2=Epstein|first2=Jennifer|last3=Mohsin|first3=Saleha|date=November 22, 2020|title=Biden to Name Longtime Aide Blinken as Secretary of State|language=en-US|work=Bloomberg News|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-23/biden-to-name-longtime-aide-blinken-as-secretary-of-state|access-date=November 23, 2020}} Upon his appointment, Sullivan stated that the early priorities of Biden's National Security Council (NSC) are the COVID-19 pandemic, "restructuring the NSC to make public health a permanent national security priority", and China relations. He also emphasized that the Biden administration aimed to repair American relations with allies that he regarded as being damaged during the Trump administration.

In September 2021 The Guardian opined that one of Sullivan's themes in the job is connecting US actions on the world stage to the lives and welfare of ordinary Americans, with the mantra of "a foreign policy for the middle class".{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/26/jake-sullivan-national-security-adviser-profile-afghanistan|title=Jake Sullivan: the Biden insider at the center of the Afghanistan crisis|work=The Guardian|first=Julian|last=Borger|date=September 26, 2021|access-date=December 9, 2021}}

After the surrender of Kabul to the Taliban, Sullivan said that the collapse of the government of Afghanistan occurred because at the "end of the day, despite the fact we spent 20 years and tens of billions of dollars to give the best equipment, the best training and the best capacity to the Afghan national security forces, we could not give them the will and they ultimately decided that they would not fight for Kabul and they would not fight for the country."{{cite news |title=National security adviser: Afghan army lacked 'will' to defend its country |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/567983-national-security-adviser-says-afghan-army-lacked-will-to-defend-its |work=The Hill |date=August 16, 2021}} However, Brett Bruen, director of global engagement in the Obama White House, called for Sullivan's dismissal over his role in the affair.{{cite web|url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/08/16/afghanistan-disaster-why-bidens-foreign-policy-team-failed-america/8145997002/|title=Ex-Obama adviser: Why Biden must fire his national security adviser for Afghanistan failure|work=USA Today|first=Brett|last=Bruen|access-date=December 8, 2021}}{{Cite web|last=Choi|first=Joseph|date=August 16, 2021|title=Ex-Obama adviser argues Biden should fire Sullivan over Afghanistan|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/568038-former-obama-adviser-argues-biden-must-fire-sullivan-over-afghanistan|access-date=February 14, 2022|website=The Hill|language=en}}

On September 28, 2021, Sullivan met in Saudi Arabia with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the 2021 global energy crisis and Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.{{cite news |title=Top White House aide discussed oil prices with Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/white-house-said-top-aide-planned-discuss-oil-prices-with-saudi-arabia-2021-09-30/ |publisher=Reuters |date=October 1, 2021}} They also discussed the potential deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.{{cite news |title=Scoop: Jake Sullivan discussed Saudi-Israel normalization with MBS |url=https://www.axios.com/jake-sullivan-mbs-abraham-accords-6d592dd4-a25a-4e02-8373-c3057ad81d34.html |work=Axios |date=October 20, 2021}}

On October 6, 2021, a high level meeting between Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat, CCP Politburo member Yang Jiechi, in Zürich, Switzerland focused on a number of contentious aspects of Chinese-American relations, including the existence of Taiwan, trade disputes, the COVID-19 origin theories, as well as civic freedoms in Hong Kong. Despite continued differences between the two nations on these issues, both sides agreed to continue their cooperation "in the spirit of fair and peaceful competition".[https://www.nzz.ch/international/gipfeltreffen-in-zuerich-chinesen-sind-gelandet-amerikaner-befinden-sich-im-anflug-ld.1649080 "Treffen in Zürich: Die Gespräche sind beendet, Sullivan äussert Bedenken gegenüber Chinas Vorgehen"] (in German) Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Retrieved October 6, 2021.

On October 25, 2021, Sullivan was briefed by Pentagon officials on the full range of military options to ensure that Iran would not be able to produce a nuclear weapon.{{cite news |title=Exclusive: U.S., Israel to discuss military drills for Iran scenario |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/exclusive-diplomacy-stutters-us-israel-discuss-military-drills-iran-scenario-us-2021-12-09/ |publisher=Reuters |date=December 9, 2021}}

On November 7, 2021, Sullivan stated that the US does not pursue system change in China any longer,{{cite web |title=CNN - Transcripts |url=https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/fzgps/date/2021-11-07/segment/01 |publisher=CNN |access-date=November 9, 2021}} marking a clear break from the China policy pursued by previous US administrations. Sullivan said that the US is not seeking a new Cold War with China, but is looking for a system of peaceful coexistence.{{cite news |title=US wants coexistence not cold war with China, Jake Sullivan says |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3155320/us-wants-coexistence-not-cold-war-china-jake-sullivan-says |access-date=November 9, 2021 |work=South China Morning Post |date=November 8, 2021 |language=en}}

File:President of Ukraine met with National Security Advisor to the President of the United States (52478026248).jpg in Kyiv, November 4, 2022]]

On December 7, 2021, Sullivan warned that Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project will end in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{cite news |title=Biden warns Putin of 'strong' Western economic sanctions if Russia attacks Ukraine |url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20211207-western-powers-say-determined-to-defend-ukraine-s-sovereignty |work=France 24 |date=December 7, 2021}}

= 2022 =

On January 14, 2022, Sullivan accused Russia of sending saboteurs into Ukraine to stage "a false-flag operation" that would create a pretext for Russia to invade Ukraine.{{cite news |title=With Russian troops at Ukraine's border, talks to avert a conflict end deadlocked |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/01/14/1072980499/with-russian-troops-at-ukraines-border-talks-to-avert-a-conflict-end-deadlocked |publisher=NPR |date=January 14, 2022}} Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the U.S. claim as "total disinformation."{{cite news |title=Russia denies looking for pretext to invade Ukraine |url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-officials-ukraine-invasion-f58cbbd7eca51cccf74ebd4be68484e8 |publisher=Associated Press |date=January 17, 2022}}

File:Sullivan-Wang meeting (2023).jpg, October 28, 2023]]

On January 23, 2022, the Department of State authorized the voluntary departure of U.S. direct hire employees (USDH) and ordered the departure of eligible family members (EFM) from Embassy Kyiv due to the continued threat of Russian military action. U.S. citizens should not travel to Ukraine, and those in Ukraine should depart now using commercial or other privately available transportation options.{{Cite web |last=Kyiv |first=U. S. Embassy |date=2022-02-10 |title=Travel Advisory: Ukraine - Level 4: Do Not Travel |url=https://ua.usembassy.gov/travel-advisory-ukraine-level-4-do-not-travel/ |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=U.S. Embassy in Ukraine |language=en-US}}

On February 11, 2022 the State Department issued a heightened threat [https://ua.usembassy.gov/travel-advisory-ukraine-level-4-do-not-travel/ Level 4 Do Not Travel Advisory in Ukraine]{{cite news |title=Ukraine – Level 4: Do Not Travel |url=https://ua.usembassy.gov/travel-advisory-ukraine-level-4-do-not-travel/ |publisher=US DEPT OF STATE |date=February 11, 2022}}

Jake Sullivan warned of a high likelihood of escalation in the conflict as diplomatic options were failing in United Nation's Security Council. Sullivan suggested there is high likelihood of Russian invasion of Ukraine before the end of the 2022 Winter Olympics and there will be "no prospect of a U.S. military evacuation" once an invasion commences.{{Cite news |date=February 11, 2022|title=Russia could begin an invasion before the Olympics end, Biden adviser says|language=en|publisher=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2022/02/11/1080164367/russia-ukraine-invasion-olympics-sullivan|access-date=February 11, 2022}} He said that "Russia has all the forces it needs to conduct a major military action."{{cite news |title=Ukraine crisis: Biden and Putin to talk, Zelenskyy slams latest invasion warnings |url=https://www.euronews.com/2022/02/12/ukraine-crisis-biden-and-putin-to-talk-after-latest-us-warnings-of-russian-invasion |work=Euronews |date=February 12, 2022}}

On February 24 the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

File:P20230219AS-0395 1 (52735093014).jpg

On March 13, 2022, Sullivan warned of a full-fledged NATO response if Russia attacks any part of NATO territory.{{cite news |title=Russia Hitting NATO Even Accidentally Will Spur 'Full' Response: Sullivan |url=https://www.newsweek.com/russia-hitting-nato-even-accidentally-will-spur-full-response-sullivan-1687559 |work=Newsweek |date=March 13, 2022}} He reportedly advised Zelenskyy not to try to retake Crimea or attack the Crimean Bridge, fearing that Russia might respond with a nuclear strike. Sullivan also reportedly imposed restrictions to prevent Ukraine from using Western-supplied weapons for retaliatory attacks on Russian territory.{{cite news |title=Ukraine levels up the fight with drone strikes deep into Russia |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/27/ukraine-levels-up-the-fight-with-drone-strikes-deep-into-russia |work=The Guardian |date=January 27, 2024}}

On March 14, 2022, he warned China that it would face consequences if it helped Russia evade sanctions.{{cite news |last1=Ferguson |first1=Niall |title=Putin Misunderstands History. So, Unfortunately, Does the U.S. |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-03-22/niall-ferguson-putin-and-biden-misunderstand-history-in-ukraine-war?sref=xzGl1Vcx |work=Bloomberg |date=March 22, 2022}}

= 2023 =

On July 6, 2023, President Joe Biden authorized the provision of cluster munitions in support of a Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces in Russian-annexed southeastern Ukraine, bypassing U.S. law prohibiting the transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate greater than one percent.{{cite news |title=Controversy surrounds US decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine |url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4085887-ukraine-russia-us-cluster-munitions-controversy/ |work=The Hill |date=July 7, 2023}} Sullivan defended the use of cluster munitions, saying that "Ukraine would not be using these munitions in some foreign land. This is their country they're defending."{{cite news |title=Cluster Weapons U.S. Is Sending Ukraine Often Fail to Detonate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/07/us/cluster-weapons-duds-ukraine.html |work=The New York Times |date=July 7, 2023}}

On October 2, 2023, Sullivan stated in an article in Foreign Affairs that the Biden administration had "de-escalated crises in Gaza" and shortly before noted the Middle East is “quieter today than it has been in two decades.”{{Cite web |last=Beckerman |first=Gal |date=October 7, 2023 |title='The Middle East Region Is Quieter Today Than It Has Been in Two Decades' |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2023/10/israel-war-middle-east-jake-sullivan/675580/ |access-date=October 25, 2024 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}} Five days later, Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, sparking the Gaza war. The article was later edited for online release.{{cite news |title=Jake Sullivan's 'Quieter' Middle East Comments Did Not Age Well |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/26/us/politics/jake-sullivan-foreign-affairs-israel-middle-east.html|work=The New York Times |date=October 26, 2023}}

On October 15, 2023, CNN's Jake Tapper, in an interview with Sullivan, raised questions about Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip and the impact on its population. Sullivan claimed that the United States worked with Israel "to make sure that innocent Palestinians get access to [water and medicine and food] and are protected from bombardment."{{cite news |title=Tapper presses Sullivan on Israel cutting off food, water to Gaza |url=https://thehill.com/policy/international/4256989-tapper-presses-sullivan-on-israel-cutting-off-food-water-to-gaza/ |work=The Hill |date=October 15, 2023}}

On October 29, 2023, Sullivan dismissed calls for a ceasefire in Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, warning that any potential "humanitarian pause" to get hostages out of Gaza could benefit Hamas.{{cite news |title=National security adviser defends Israel's efforts to defeat Hamas |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/29/national-security-advisor-defends-israel-hamas-00124113 |work=Politico |date=October 29, 2023}} He declined to comment on whether Israel had committed war crimes in Gaza and whether Gazans would be allowed to return to their homes.{{cite news |title=Sullivan blames 'fog of war' over Israel's targeting of basic infrastructure in Gaza |url=https://thehill.com/policy/international/4257056-sullivan-blames-fog-of-war-over-israels-targeting-of-basic-infrastructure-in-gaza/ |work=The Hill |date=October 15, 2023}}{{cite news |title=Biden's Legacy Should Be Forever Haunted by the Names of Gaza's Dead Children |url=https://theintercept.com/2023/11/14/gaza-israel-genocide-biden-legacy/ |work=The Intercept |date=November 14, 2023}} Sullivan stated that "Israel has a right, indeed a responsibility, to defend itself against a terrorist group."

File:U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan Visit to Israel. May 19-20, 2024 12.jpg in Israel, May 19, 2024]]

In the November–December 2023 issue of Foreign Affairs Sullivan laid out his vision of "The Sources of American

Power". It was the issue's cover story.{{cite journal |last1=Sullivan |first1=Jake |date=Nov–Dec 2023 |title=The Sources of American Power: A Foreign Policy for a Changed World |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/sources-american-power-biden-jake-sullivan |journal=Foreign Affairs |volume=102 |issue=6}} Anders Åslund wrote that the article showed a "Biden administration in denial about Ukraine".{{cite news |last1=Åslund |first1=Anders |title=Jake Sullivan's new essay reveals a Biden administration in denial about Ukraine |url=https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4306595-jake-sullivans-new-essay-reveals-a-biden-administration-in-denial-about-ukraine/ |newspaper=The Hill |date=November 13, 2023}}

= 2024 =

In January 2024, the Biden administration rejected Vladimir Putin's proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Sullivan informed Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov that the United States would not discuss a ceasefire without Ukraine's participation.{{cite news |title=Exclusive: Putin's suggestion of Ukraine ceasefire rejected by United States, sources say |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putins-suggestion-ukraine-ceasefire-rejected-by-united-states-sources-say-2024-02-13/ |publisher=Reuters |date=February 13, 2024}}{{cite news |title=US rejects Putin's proposal to cease fire after meeting of mediators – Reuters |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/02/13/7441736/ |work=Ukrainska Pravda |date=February 13, 2024}}

Also in January 2024 Sullivan met with Wang Yi at Bangkok for two days.{{cite news |date=January 30, 2024 |title=US National Security Advisor, China's Top Foreign Policy Official Met in Thailand |url=https://thediplomat.com/2024/01/us-national-security-advisor-chinas-top-foreign-policy-official-met-in-thailand/ |work=The Diplomat}}

In March 2024, Sullivan warned Ukrainian officials to cease military strikes in Russia using Ukraine's own weaponry, amidst concerns about impacts on oil prices. US officials had previously placed restrictions against Ukraine using US-provided weapons in Russia.{{cite news |title=Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries deepen tensions with U.S. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/04/15/ukraine-russia-oil-refinery-attacks/ |newspaper = Washington Post |date=April 15, 2024}}

In May 2024, Sullivan expressed concern at the Irish, Norwegian, and Spanish recognition of Palestine and Israel's growing diplomatic isolation, saying that "we certainly have seen a growing chorus of voices, including voices that had previously been in support of Israel, drift in another direction. That is of concern to us because we do not believe that that contributes to Israel's long-term security or vitality."{{Cite news |last=Tait |first=Robert |date=May 22, 2024 |title=US 'concerned' by Israel's isolation, Biden national security adviser says |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/22/israel-national-security-jake-sullivan |access-date=May 24, 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

On June 9, 2024, Sullivan said that the rescue operation to recover Israeli hostages from the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza was aided by intelligence support from the United States.{{cite news |title=Jake Sullivan says US supported Israel in hostage rescue |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/09/jake-sullivan-support-israel-hostage-rescue-gaza-00162408 |work=Politico |date=June 9, 2024}}

On August 29, Sullivan met and conferred with Xi Jinping,{{cite news |date=August 29, 2024 |title=Jake Sullivan meets with China's Xi Jinping amid tensions with the U.S. |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/jake-sullivan-meets-with-china-s-xi-jinping-amid-tensions-with-u-s-218220613789 |work=NBC News}} at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.{{cite news |date=August 29, 2024 |title=US security official meets China's Xi as American election looms large over relations |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/29/china/us-china-talks-sullivan-wang-military-intl-hnk/index.html |work=CNN}} He had been on a three-day trip.{{cite news |title=Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Jake Sullivan in Beijing |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XYOkzzF-JI |agency=YouTube |publisher=AP News |date=August 29, 2024}} He had spoken (for the fifth time in their careers) to Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi along with Central Military Commission vice chairman General Zhang Youxia the previous day.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxEJxzmoIao |title=President Xi meets US national security adviser in Beijing |date=August 29, 2024 |last= |type= |publisher=BBC News |access-date=January 19, 2025 |via=YouTube}} Concerns were expressed over the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, and Sullivan made special reference to the November 2023 Woodside Summit. It was the first trip to Beijing in eight years by a US National Security Advisor.

During the Biden administration Jake Sullivan along with others acted as an intermediary for Biden administration officials and lawmakers who sought access to the President according to an investigative report by the Wall Street Journal.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=December 19, 2024 |title=How the White House Functioned With a Diminished Biden in Charge |url=https://www.wsj.com/politics/biden-white-house-age-function-diminished-3906a839 |access-date=January 19, 2025 |website=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US}}

= 2025 =

File:1 14 2025 Passing the Baton 2025 Securing America’s Future in an Era of Strategic Competition (54270070310).jpg and Stephen Hadley on January 14, 2025]]

In January 2025, three days before leaving his position as National Security Advisor, Sullivan warned that the next few years would be crucial in determining whether artificial intelligence leads to catastrophe and whether China or America prevails in the AI race.{{Cite web |last=VandeHei |first=Jim |last2=Allen |first2=Mike |date=January 18, 2025 |title=Behind the Curtain: Jake Sullivan sends chilling, "catastrophic" warning |url=https://www.axios.com/2025/01/18/biden-sullivan-ai-race-trump-china |access-date= |website=Axios |language=en}}

On January 14, 2025, Sullivan said that the shortage of personnel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine remains an acute problem, and recommended that Ukraine step up mobilization.{{cite news |title=Zelenskyy: Ukraine's Defence Ministry drafts special contract for Ukrainians aged 18-24 |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/02/8/7497272/ |work=Ukrainska Pravda |date=February 8, 2025}}

Post-National Security Advisor career

Sullivan will join the faculty of the Harvard Kennedy School on April 1, 2025, as the inaugural Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order.{{Cite web |title=Biden National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan To Join Harvard Kennedy School Faculty in April {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/3/12/jake-sullivan-hks/ |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=www.thecrimson.com}}

Personal life

Sullivan is married to Maggie Goodlander, who has represented New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2025. A Yale graduate, Goodlander is a former intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve who served as a foreign policy advisor to Senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain and as a law clerk to then-Chief Judge Merrick Garland of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Associate Justice Stephen Breyer of the United States Supreme Court.{{Cite news|last1=Jakes|first1=Lara|last2=Crowley|first2=Michael|last3=Sanger|first3=David E.|date=November 23, 2020|title=Biden Chooses Antony Blinken, Defender of Global Alliances, as Secretary of State|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/22/us/politics/biden-antony-blinken-secretary-of-state.html|access-date=December 7, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news|last1=Leibovich|first1=Mark|date=November 30, 2021|title=Jake Sullivan, Biden's Adviser, a Figure of Fascination and Schadenfreude|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/30/us/politics/jake-sullivan-biden.html|access-date=August 14, 2022}}{{cite web|title=Margaret Goodlander|url=http://www.cnas.org/MargaretGoodlander|publisher=Center for a New American Security|access-date=February 14, 2016|archive-date=March 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312000009/http://www.cnas.org/MargaretGoodlander|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=November 25, 2024 |title=New Hampshire House District 2 General Election Results 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/new-hampshire-us-house-district-2-results |access-date=November 28, 2024 |website=NBC News |language=en}} They married in 2015 and live in Nashua, New Hampshire, with homes in Washington, D.C., and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

In late April 2023, an unknown man reportedly entered Sullivan's home in the West End neighborhood of Washington D.C. at around 3 am, but left before Secret Service agents were alerted.{{cite news |last1=Leonnig |first1=Carol |last2=Pager |first2=Tyler |title=Intrusion at national security adviser's home under investigation |date=May 16, 2023 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/05/16/national-security-adviser-home-intrusion/ |quote=The unknown man walked into Jake Sullivan's home at about 3 a.m. one day in late April and Sullivan confronted the individual, instructing him to leave, two of the people briefed on the incident said. There were no signs of forced entry at the home, according to one of the people. Sullivan has a round-the-clock Secret Service detail. But agents stationed outside the house were unaware that an intruder had gotten inside the home, located in the West End neighborhood of Washington, until the man had already left and Sullivan came outside to alert the agents, the two people said.}} Sullivan discovered the man because he was still working at the time.{{Cite magazine |last=Glasser |first=Susan B. |date=October 9, 2023 |title=Jake Sullivan's Trial by Combat |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/16/trial-by-combat |access-date=February 2, 2024 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}

Honors and awards

= International honors =

{{flag|Sweden}}:
70px Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star (2024){{cite web |title=Ordnar till tio utländska medborgare |url=https://kungligmajestatsorden.se/nyhetsarkiv/nyheter/2024-10-22-ordnar-till-tio-utlandska-medborgare |website=kungligmajestatsorden.se |access-date=November 24, 2024 |language=sv}}

Publications

= Articles =

The Sources of American Power, Foreign Affairs, October 2023{{Cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Jake |date=October 24, 2023 |title=The Sources of American Power |language=en-US |work=Foreign Affairs |issue=November/December 2023 |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/sources-american-power-biden-jake-sullivan |access-date=October 25, 2023 |issn=0015-7120}}
America's Opportunity in the Middle East, Foreign Affairs, May 22, 2020 (co-authored with Daniel Benaim){{Cite news |last1=Benaim |first1=Daniel |last2=Sullivan |first2=Jake |date=May 22, 2020 |title=America's Opportunity in the Middle East |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/2020-05-22/americas-opportunity-middle-east |access-date=February 2, 2024 |work=Foreign Affairs |language=en-US |issn=0015-7120}}
The Case for a National Security Budget, Foreign Affairs, November 19, 2019 (co-authored with Brett Rosenberg){{Cite news |last1=Rosenberg |first1=Brett |last2=Sullivan |first2=Jake |date=November 19, 2019 |title=The Case for a National Security Budget |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/case-national-security-budget |access-date=February 2, 2024 |work=Foreign Affairs |language=en-US |issn=0015-7120}}
Competition Without Catastrophe, Foreign Affairs, August 1, 2019 (co-authored with Kurt M. Campbell){{Cite news |last1=Campbell |first1=Kurt M. |last2=Sullivan |first2=Jake |date=August 1, 2019 |title=Competition Without Catastrophe |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/competition-with-china-catastrophe-sullivan-campbell |access-date=February 2, 2024 |work=Foreign Affairs |language=en-US |issue=September/October 2019 |issn=0015-7120}}
The New Old Democrats, Democracy, June 20, 2018{{Cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Jake |date=June 20, 2018 |title=The New Old Democrats |work=Democracy |language=en-US |url=https://democracyjournal.org/arguments/the-new-old-democrats/ |access-date=November 5, 2024}}