Former U.S. Ambassador: Putin Has No Interest in Resolving Ukraine Conflict

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Voice of America – voanews.com – April 10, 2015) Former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul tells VOA that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no interest in resolving the conflict in Ukraine because it serves his interest. McFaul said Thursday that Putin likes the open-ended, low grade military confrontation in the former Soviet republic because it works to undermine the government in Kyiv. The […]

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VIDEO: How does the U.S. make the case for its interests in Ukraine? (Interview with Michael McFaul)

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

PBS interviews former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul about unfolding events in Ukraine and the U.S. response. They spoke with McFaul at a conference in Colorado. Click here for transcript. Said McFaul: The biggest, obvious point, you know, fork in the road for Ukraine is to end the violence. If Poroshenko or some configuration of international leaders helped end […]

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RIA Novosti: Next US Ambassador to Moscow to Have Very Difficult Job – Russia’s Deputy FM

Artist's Rendition of U.S. Embassy, Moscow, with the Russian Foreign Ministry in the Background

MOSCOW, May 6 (RIA Novosti) – The next US ambassador to Moscow should not expect his mission to be easy, a Russian deputy foreign minister told RIA Novosti Tuesday. “We had gone through a very difficult period when Michael McFaul was the ambassador. Under present circumstances, the future US ambassador will have a very difficult job, no matter who is […]

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Author of Russian Reset Admits Policy Is Dead

File Photo of Barack Obama Sitting at Desk with Mike McFaul Standing Next to Him Facing Him

(The Heritage Foundation – heritage.org – Daniel Kochis – April 9, 2014) President Obama’s former Ambassador to Russia and self-described author of the Russian reset policy Michael McFaul today admitted the obvious: the reset is dead. In a radio interview with the Flint Report in Montana, McFaul stated, “The reset ended, the reset ended a long time ago.” McFaul is […]

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Former Ambassador McFaul: Putin May Be Just Getting Started

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – By Albert R. Hunt – March 19, 2014) Albert R. Hunt is a Bloomberg View columnist. Michael McFaul, who recently stepped down as U.S. ambassador to Russia, says President Vladimir Putin is riding “an ugly nationalistic fervor that’s off the charts,” and is likely to escalate tensions with the U.S. and Europe over Ukraine. McFaul, who […]

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“To my Russian friends…” – Michael McFaul facebook post re: Ukraine

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Facebook – Michael McFaul – March 2, 2014 – https://www.facebook.com/russialist/posts/10203369527624843) “To my Russian friends especially, if you argued in 2003 that it was a mistake and illegitimate for the U.S. to invade Iraq (as many Americans did as well), then why are you invoking the Iraq war to justify a Russian repetition of such an illegitimate mistake in Ukraine? I […]

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How to succeed after McFaul

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Alexander Gasyuk, special to RBTH – February 26, 2014) Foreign policy experts and former foreign service officers weigh in on what’s needed in the next U.S. ambassador to Russia. Spaso House, the neoclassical villa that is the longtime home of American ambassadors to Russia, awaits a new occupant to warm the frosty bilateral […]

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McFaul Leaves U.S. Ambassador Post Amid Ukraine Turmoil

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber – February 27, 2014) Michael McFaul officially relinquished his position as U.S. ambassador to Russia on Wednesday morning, leaving one of the U.S.’ most vital diplomatic posts empty amid political upheaval in neighboring Ukraine. McFaul, known for his active presence on Twitter, wrote goodbyes to Russian users of the microblogging service throughout the […]

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Farewell, Ambassador McFaul

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Michael Bohm – February 14, 2014) Michael Bohm is opinion page editor of The Moscow Times. Although Michael McFaul masterminded the “reset” between the U.S. and Russia, ushering in a welcome period of warmer relations, ­albeit short-lived, his ambassadorship to Moscow was doomed from the start. The sandy-haired Montana native fell right into the Kremlin’s […]

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Interfax: Russian ambassador to US: No link between McFaul departure, reset policy

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Interfax – February 6, 2014) The upcoming resignation of U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has nothing to do with the end of the reset policy in Russia-U.S. relations, Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak said. “I did not know when Mike decided to resign but I know that he wanted to return to his favorite work at […]

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After Rocky Two Years, McFaul Quits as Ambassador

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ezekiel Pfeifer and Natalya Krainova – February 5, 2014) Michael McFaul, who has served as U.S. ambassador to Russia over a two-year period marked by heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow, announced in a blog post Tuesday that he would be leaving his position as ambassador and returning to academia later this month. McFaul, 50, […]

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McFaul says his decision to leave Moscow unrelated to US-Russia relations

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Interfax – February 5, 2014) U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul says there is no political reason for his decision to leave Moscow. “But it had nothing to do with US – Russia relations, and it had nothing to do with any decisions by the Russian government, it was all purely due the fact that I want and need to […]

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Interfax: McFaul: Washington eyeing Russia-US summit in Sochi this summer

File Photo of Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama Seated Before Russian and U.S. Flags

MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax) – Washington is preparing to hold a Russia-U.S. summit in Sochi this summer on the G8 sidelines, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said. “We’re working very hard to make the agenda rich enough to justify a summit with an eye toward the G-8 Summit in Sochi in the summer,” he said in an interview with […]

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Interfax: Outgoing U.S. ambassador shouldn’t have tried to build relations with Russian opposition – Duma deputy

Alexei Pushkov file photo

MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax) – Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul made a mistake in trying to maintain contacts not only with Russian government institutions but also with the opposition, says Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Russian State Duma international affairs committee. “I think the ambassador’s replacement is unlikely to have any impact on Russian-American relations. Surely, it […]

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McFaul: It’s Time, My Friend, It’s Time

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul – http://m-mcfaul.livejournal.com/ – February 4, 2014) This is my last blog as the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation. Soon after the Olympics, I plan to rejoin my family in California. After more than five years working in the Obama administration, it is time to go home. Last summer, my wife and two sons […]

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McFaul: Happy New Year: Looking Back, Looking Forward [excerpt]

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul – http://m-mcfaul.livejournal.com/ – January 15, 2014) [excerpt; complete text here http://m-mcfaul.livejournal.com/17235.html] January is always a good month to assess the accomplishments of the previous year and look forward to progress in the new year. This month marks not only the end of my second year as the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation but also the […]

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Reports of Imminent Resignation False, U.S. Ambassador McFaul Says

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – December 26, 2013) U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul plans to ring in the New Year in Moscow for the first time in his life, combining Russian and U.S. traditions, he said in an interview published Wednesday. McFaul, who’s been in Russia since early 2012, also said that the reports of his resignation were greatly […]

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VIDEO: U.S. Ambassador McFaul Says No Boycott Of Sochi Olympics, Addresses U.S.-Russian Relations, Ukraine, Adoptions, other issues

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

Ambassador Michael McFaul, U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, addresses U.S.-Russian Relations, Ukraine, the Sochi Olympics, adoptions and other matters, in this video by RFE/RL’s Russian Service. McFaul is interviewed in Russian, with English subtitles. The video was dated December 17, 2013.

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U.S. Ambassador Says No Boycott Of Sochi

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – December 17, 2013) U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has spoken of the current state of bilateral relations, the upcoming Sochi Olympics, and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine in a wide-ranging, exclusive interview with RFE/RL’s Russian Service. McFaul, speaking at RFE/RL’s Moscow Bureau, quashed rumors of a possible U.S. boycott of the Winter Olympics. He confirmed […]

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The U.S. and Russia – A Relationship of Continual Growth

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Ambassador Michael McFaul – November 29, 2013 – Valdai Discussion Club/Izvestia) Michael McFaul is U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation. November 17, 2013, marked the 80th anniversary of the U.S. recognition of the Soviet Union, when then-Soviet Foreign Minister Maksim Litvinov traveled to the U.S. to sign an agreement establishing diplomatic relations.  While this is a milestone in our relationship […]

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RIA Novosti: 90% of Russians Asking for US Visas Obtain Them – Ambassador

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

MOSCOW, November 20 (RIA Novosti) ­ Most Russians asking for US entry visas obtain them, the US ambassador in Moscow said Wednesday. Michael McFaul said at a meeting with students in Moscow’s Foreign Literature Library that more than 90 percent of those applying for visas were granted them. He noted that the figure is higher in Russia than in many […]

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Interfax: McFaul angry with Russian mass media reports on U.S. sponsoring opposition in Russia

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

MOSCOW. Nov 21 (Interfax) – U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said he was angry with mass media reports on Washington supporting the Russian opposition. McFaul said at a public meeting in Moscow on Wednesday that nothing made him angrier about the Russian media than propaganda about the U.S. government sponsoring Russian opposition. According to the ambassador, he saw Russian […]

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Interfax: U.S. Ambassador McFaul sure that Russia, U.S. have more common interests than differences

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

MOSCOW. Nov 16 (Interfax) – A positive agenda in Russian-U.S. relations outweighs the difficulties existing in them, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said. “Today, those interests and challenges which unite us outweigh those issues which divide us,” McFaul told Interfax on Saturday in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Russia. […]

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Ambassador: U.S. clearly communicates concerns over Snowden to Russian government

Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 22, 2013) U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has declined claims that the Embassy allegedly takes no interest in former CIA employee Edward Snowden. “We have communicated our concerns clearly and frequently to the Russian government,” he wrote on Twitter in reply to a statement by Russian Public Chamber member, lawyer Anatoly Kucherena who alleged insufficient […]

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U.S. ambassador asked to get Obama to raise Russian human rights issues with Putin

File Photo of Barack Obama Sitting at Desk with Mike McFaul Standing Next to Him Facing Him

(Interfax – KAZAN, Russia, July 8, 2013) The U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, has promised to do his best to satisfy a request from Russian human rights group Agora that the human rights situation in Russia be put on the agenda of the planned Russian-American summit this autumn, Agora’s leader said. “The proposal was raised during our meeting with […]

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Russia No Security Rival to Washington – U.S. Ambassador

Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, June 10, 2013) ­ The US administration does not regard Russia as a rival in security matters but views Moscow as a partner with whom it can jointly resolve global issues, the US ambassador to Russia said on Monday. “We do not consider Russia as a rival to the United States either in security or in […]

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Oops. McFaul Outed in Government Transcript of Off-the-Record Call

File Photo of Barack Obama Sitting at Desk with Mike McFaul Standing Next to Him Facing Him

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – May 8, 2013) President Barack Obama’s administration has come under fire for its desire to speak off the record in some meetings with journalists. But what if the administration inadvertently breaks its own rules? That’s what appeared to happen this week when the U.S. State Department arranged a teleconference with journalists to discuss Secretary of […]

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Social networks should not be allowed to be used to damage U.S., Russia – McFaul

Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

MOSCOW. March 11 (Interfax) – The United States and Russia share the opinion that common rules of guaranteeing cyber security must be worked out, U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said in an interview published by Kommersant.Vesti magazine on Monday. However, there is one moment on which our points of view coincide with the Russian authorities. The issue is cyber […]

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Envoy Denies Blanket Ban on US Entry for Russian Lawmakers

Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

MOSCOW, March 8 (RIA Novosti) ­ US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul denied late Thursday that hundreds of Russian legislators may be blacklisted for US entry for supporting a ban on adoptions of Russian children by Americans. “This is not our policy at the moment,” McFaul said in a Russian-language interview on Ekho Moskvy radio. A US petition drive proposed […]

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McFaul Slams ‘Sensational Exploitation’ of Orphan’s Death

File Photo of Barack Obama Sitting at Desk with Mike McFaul Standing Next to Him Facing Him

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jonathan Earle – February  25, 2013) U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul has condemned “sensational exploitations” of the recent death of a Russian toddler in the United States and said he is “troubled” by portrayals of the U.S. legal system, government and the American people in the Russian press. “It is time for sensational exploitations of human […]

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Reflecting on 2012: A year in Moscow as the U.S. Ambassador

Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

(Ambassador Michael McFaul – Russia Beyond the Headlines – www.rbth.ru – February 8, 2013 – Michael Mcfaul is the U.S. Ambassador in Russia) A year ago, I arrived in Moscow to represent my country as the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation. This is a good moment to reflect on the state of U.S.-Russian relations and my role in developing […]

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U.S. Ambassador to Russia expects further dialogue on civil society issues

Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

VOLGOGRAD. Feb 1 (Interfax) – Discussion of civil society issues will continue in spite of the U.S. dropout from the relevant bilateral working group, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said at the Russian-U.S. Center in Volgograd on Friday. McFaul said the working group was formed in June 2009 and he co-chaired it with Vladislav Surkov. He noted they had […]

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McFaul’s remarks on adoptions distort situation – Dolgov

File Photo of Russian Orphans with Mr. and Mrs. Dmitry Medvedev

MOSCOW. Jan 22 (Interfax) – The Russian Foreign Ministry’s human rights commissioner, Konstantin Dolgov, has blamed U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul for crudely distorting facts by saying that by denouncing the Russian-American agreement on cooperation in child adoptions, Russia has lost the opportunity to monitor the lives of Russian children adopted in the United States. “We have read with […]

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New year’s greetings from US Ambassador Michael McFaul and his wife

Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

New year’s greetings from US Ambassador Michael McFaul and his wife http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnZD_xtCfD4 [please note: a smaller frame is being provided, to accommodate users on mobile devices; click here for larger version over on youtube itself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnZD_xtCfD4]

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Magnitsky Act is not targeted against Russia – Ambassador McFaul

Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON. Dec 17 (Interfax) – The Magnitsky Act endorsed by the Congress and signed by U.S. President Barack Obama is not targeted against Russia, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul posted in his blog. He said the act did not stipulate any extraterritorial measures. The act concerns the U.S. sovereignty and ability to bar persons involved in violations of human […]

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McFaul to Focus on Economic Ties

Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jonathan Earle – November 8, 2012) “I got a little bit of sleep, but I was up pretty early,” U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul said Wednesday afternoon, shortly after his boss, President Barack Obama, declared election victory. Fatigue at first appeared to blunt his characteristic cheerfulness, but as the conversation turned to what Obama’s second term […]

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INTERVIEW: Michael McFaul: U.S. wants to further relations with Russia, but “it takes two to tango”

Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

(Interfax – November 8, 2012) U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has given its first interview to correspondents of Interfax Olga Golovanova and Kseniya Baygarova after the U.S. presidential elections’ 2012 on vital bilateral issues in U.S.-Russian relations and regional agenda, such as Iran and Afghanistan. Question: Mr. McFaul, you are an author of ‘reset’. Everybody knows a lot of […]

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