Former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul is a very controversial person. Despite all his professionalism, he could easily cross the line of friendliness and courtesy, for which he was repeatedly criticized by the Russian government and the media. Nevertheless, it is difficult to overestimate the contribution that the politician made to the development of relations between the two superpowers.
Education
Let's start with the fact that Michael McFaul was born October 1, 1963 in Glasgow, Montana. From a young age, he established himself as a very gifted child, which allowed him to easily finish school. An irreproachable certificate gave him the opportunity to enter Stanford University.
In 1986, Michael McFaul received his Master of Arts degree. At the same time, he specialized in Soviet and Eastern European cultures. Between 1983 and 1986, he repeatedly visited the Soviet Union in order to complete an internship at the best universities in the country.
Also in 1986, McFaul received a Rhodes Foundation scholarship, which he then spent on studyingSouth African revolutionary groups. Later, in 1989, his knowledge resulted in a scientific work en titled "The South African Movement in the Struggle for Freedom from Superpower Interference: Features of the Theory of Revolution in the Context of International Relations". For this work, he received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford.
Career start
In 1993, Michael McFaul gets a job at the Carnegie Center. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving world peace. As for Michael himself, he performed his duties in the Moscow branch, where he worked until 1995.
In 1995 he transferred to Stanford University. Here McFaul focuses on the study of the Russian political system and culture. At the same time, his works are beginning to enjoy unprecedented popularity among foreign readers, which characterizes Michael as a qualified specialist.
At the end of 2006, Michael McFaul receives a very tempting offer from US President Barack Obama. The leader of the country hires him as a consultant specializing in the countries of the former Soviet Union. And from that moment begins a new stage in the life of the Stanford professor.
In the political arena
As a consultant to the President, Michael McFaul has established himself as a true professional in his field. Therefore, in 2009, Barack Obama appoints him as Special Assistant for National Security Affairs. In the same year, McFaul became director of the special department of the Council. US security. Naturally, the main task of the young politician is to oversee issues related to international relations.
In January 2010, Michael becomes one of the main initiators of the creation of the Russian-American Bilateral Commission. It was a major breakthrough for two countries that had long competed with each other, and a big victory for McFaul himself. However, in 2012, the politician gives up his seat on the commission, as he receives a new, more important position.
Michael McFaul is US Ambassador to Russia
Back in late 2011, Barack Obama proposed Michael McFaul as the US Ambassador to Russia. However, the professor from Stanford entered this position only on January 10, 2012.
At the same time, the arrival of the new ambassador to Moscow became the reason for another scandal in the media. The fault was the meeting of Michael McFaul with representatives of the opposition, which took place on January 17, 2012. Then the politician was accused of violating diplomatic ethics, to which he replied: “Forgive me, but I am just starting to learn the skill of negotiations.”
In general, McFaul has proven himself to be an unpredictable politician. Many of his statements were on the verge of what is permitted, but still did not cross it. And yet, in 2014, he resigned as an ambassador, citing the fact that he missed his country and wants his son to graduate from school in the United States, and not in Russia.
Influence on the friendship of peoples
Michael McFaul always spoke about Russia with genuine love. If you believe his words, thentraveling to the USSR was his childhood dream. So as he grew up, he did his best to fulfill his aspiration.
In addition, this passion prompted him to implement in the United States a policy of "resetting" Russian-American relations. And he succeeded, until 2014, the two superpowers did everything possible to establish fruitful cooperation with each other. Alas, the conflict with Ukraine crossed out all the achievements and suspended the ongoing reconciliation process.
Criticism and scandals
A video in which Michael McFaul trolls Russian students made a lot of noise on the Internet. In it, the former US ambassador openly criticizes the state of affairs in Russia, emphasizing that one cannot admire the country's economy while using things made outside of it.
Similar statements repeatedly slipped through McFaul's dialogues. Because of this, many consider him a frivolous and unrestrained politician. In addition, his knowledge of revolutionary uprisings suggests that he was sent to Russia for the sole purpose of causing confusion among the civilian population of the country.
