The media in Serbia and Kosovo reported on Monday that Alexander “Sasha” Kasanof is replacing Gabriel Escobar as US envoy for the Western Balkans.

Kasanof was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Balkans, according to a biography on the State Department portal dated July 19.

The state.gov portal did not specify that Kasanof is replacing Escobar.

According to the portal, Kasanof is also Deputy Assistant Secretary for Press and Public Diplomacy at the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.

Kasanof was a Political Counselor at the US Embassy in Kyiv during the Maidan Revolution and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He also served as Director of the Office of Global Policy and Programs in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Deputy Director of the Executive Secretariat Staff (“the Line”), Director of the Office of Eastern European Affairs, and Deputy Director of the Office of Caucasus Affairs and Regional Conflicts.