Former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul is a very mixed personality. Despite all his professionalism, he could calmly 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
To begin with, Michael McFaul was born on October 1, 1963 in the city of Glasgow, which is located in Montana. From a young age, he established himself as a very gifted child, which allowed him to easily finish school. Impeccable certificate gave him the opportunity to enter Stanford University.
In 1986, Michael McFaul received a master's degree in art. At the same time, he specialized in Soviet and Eastern European cultures. In the period from 1983 to 1986, he repeatedly visited the Soviet Union in order to undergo an internship at the best universities in the country.
Also in 1986, McFaul received a scholarship from the Rhodes Foundation, which he then spent on studying South African revolutionary groups. Later, in 1989, his knowledge poured into a scientific work entitled "The South African Movement in the Struggle for Freedom from Intervention by Super Powers: Features of the Theory of Revolution in the Context of International Relations." For this work, he received a Ph.D. at Oxford University.
Carier start
In 1993, Michael McFaul got a job at the Carnegie Center. This is a non-profit organization striving to achieve peace on the planet. As for Michael himself, he performed his duties at the Moscow branch, where he worked until 1995.
In 1995, he transferred to Stanford University. Here McFaul focuses on studying the Russian political system and culture. At the same time, his works begin to enjoy unprecedented popularity among foreign readers, which characterizes Michael as a qualified specialist.
In late 2006, Michael McFaul received a very tempting offer from US President Barack Obama. The country leader hires him as a consultant specializing in the countries of the former Soviet Union. And from this moment begins a new stage in the life of a Stanford professor.
In the political arena
As a presidential adviser, Michael McFaul has established himself as a true professional in his field. Therefore, in 2009, Barack Obama appoints him Special Assistant for National Security. In the same year, McFaul became director of a special department of the US Security Council. Naturally, the main task of the young politician is to oversee issues related to international relations.
In January 2010, Michael became one of the main initiators of the creation of the Russian-American bilateral commission. It was a major breakthrough for the two countries that have long been competing with each other, and a big victory for McFaul himself. However, in 2012, the politician refuses his place in the commission, as he receives a new, more important position.
Michael McFaul - US Ambassador to Russia
At the end of 2011, Barack Obama proposed the candidacy of Michael McFaul for the post of US ambassador to Russia. However, a professor from Stanford entered this position only on January 10, 2012.
At the same time, the arrival of the new ambassador to Moscow was the occasion for another scandal in the media. The reason for this 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'm just starting to learn the art of negotiation."
In general, McFaul has established himself as an unpredictable politician. Many of his statements were on the verge of permissible, but still did not cross it. Nevertheless, in 2014, he resigned as ambassador, citing the fact that he missed his country and wants his son to graduate from school in the USA, and not in Russia.
Influence on the friendship of peoples
Michael McFaul of Russia has always responded with genuine love. If you believe his words, then a trip to the USSR was his childhood dream. Therefore, having matured, he did everything possible in order to fulfill his aspiration.
Moreover, this passion prompted him to introduce a policy of “resetting” Russian-American relations in the United States. And he succeeded, until 2014, the two superpowers did everything possible in order to establish fruitful cooperation with each other. Alas, the conflict with Ukraine crossed out all achievements and suspended the ongoing process of reconciliation.
Criticism and scandals
A lot of noise on the Internet caused a video in which Michael McFaul trolls Russian students. 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 its borders.
Similar statements have repeatedly slipped in McFaul's dialogues. Because of this, many consider him a frivolous and unrestrained politician. Moreover, his knowledge in the field of revolutionary uprisings prompts the idea that he was sent to Russia with the sole goal of creating confusion in the civilian population of the country.