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Mr. McFaul Goes to Moscow
As McFaul is Sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Russia, New Hopes Arise for United States-Russia Relationship
Dan Peleschuk - Russia Profile - russiaprofile.org - 1.12.12 - JRL 2012-8

The new U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul was officially sworn in on January 10, potentially opening a new chapter in U.S.-Russian relations. After a lengthy waiting period, marked by Republican attempts to block his confirmation, the longtime Russia specialist finally takes up the top post as the key link between the United States and Russia. But what will his tenure mean for U.S.-Russian relations? Experts express cautious hope that his well-honed credentials would help bolster relations during a potentially touchy period. Sworn in by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, DC, McFaul became the sixth U.S. ambassador to post-Soviet Russia and, curiously, one of only two non-career diplomats to serve as Washington's envoy to Moscow in the past 30 years. The trained academic has more than 25 years of experience in researching and teaching on Russia and the former Soviet Union, and has spent much of his career at the prestigious Stanford University in California.

Clinton noted that McFaul, who is a specialist in democratic transition ­ a Kommersant headline from January 11 touted him as a "color revolution specialist" ­ is uniquely suited for his new post, given Russia's current climate. "The coming months and years will be crucial for Russian democracy. Russians from all walks of life and every corner of this great country are making their voices heard, both face to face and in cyberspace, expressing their hopes for the future," she said, according to a transcript posted on the State Department Web site. "Few Americans know Russia or know democracy better than Mike McFaul. And I can think of no better representative of our values and our interest in a strong, politically vibrant, open, democratic Russia, as well as a deepening U.S.-Russian partnership."

McFaul is the architect of the "reset" in relations between the United States and Russia, formally introduced in early 2009 during meetings between U.S. and Russian delegates. Previously enjoying brief stints on the U.S. National Security Council as President Barack Obama's special advisor for ­ and before that, as senior director of ­ Russian and Eurasian affairs, McFaul has comparatively little political experience, but reportedly enjoys strong bipartisan support from U.S. politicians and lawmakers.

What's more, however, McFaul has amassed a wealth of contacts and built solid relationships with his Russian counterparts. Having spent sporadic periods living, studying and working in both the Soviet Union and Russia, he has firsthand experience in building workable contacts with top political players in Russia throughout the past 20 years. McFaul is so familiar and respected in Russian circles that when Obama informed President Dmitry Medvedev of his selection last year, Clinton said, the Russian president reportedly answered, "Of course. He's a tough negotiator."

For this reason, many have hailed McFaul as the ideal candidate. And according to Matthew Rojansky, the deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, McFaul has proven himself a worthy ally on both sides of the fence. "You could see how seriously he takes the responsibility and how well-respected he is not only by his own team from the administration, but by the secretary of state, State Department colleagues, and colleagues throughout government," said Rojansky, who attended McFaul's swearing in ceremony. "You could also see that he has earned respect from the Russian side, including [Russian] Ambassador [Sergey] Kislyak, who was there, and from many of Russia's neighbors."

Yet campaign season has befallen both the United States and Russia, and has inevitably shifted the electorates' focus from foreign to domestic issues. To this end, other experts remain more cautious about McFaul's potential influence. While he is among the most experienced and well-suited men for the job, according to Fyodor Lukyanov, editor in chief of Russia in Global Affairs, McFaul's arrival comes at a touchy time and his work will be limited largely to damage control. "If somebody uses foreign policy issues in an election campaign, it's usually to blame the opposite side ­ and this is quite common for both countries," he said. "I'm afraid that for ambassadors, this will be quite a difficult period."

What's more, the "reset" has time and again been thrown into question, whether over diplomatic tit-for-tats or the U.S. positioning of a European missile defense shield, which Russia claims is aimed offensively at Moscow rather than defensively against the Middle East. Foreign policy hawks on both sides of the ocean have consistently criticized the plan, but McFaul stands firm on the administration's policy. "On the contrary, today we're on to the next, more complex phase, when the alignment of our interests and values is neither simple nor easy," McFaul said at his swearing in. "On to the next adventure. Russia, here we come!"

Lukyanov, however, cautions that there's little room to advance the "reset" beyond its current status. The policy, he said, has fulfilled its intended major goals, and both administrations should be focusing on further developing relations beyond this point ­ and only after the presidential elections on both sides. "If you take the metaphor 'reset,' it means you push the button once, you don't need to press it forever," he said. "The next phase after a successful 'reset' would be to develop a new agenda between Russia and the United States, based on a slightly better atmosphere between them."

Keywords: Russia, U.S.-Russian Relations - Russia News - Russia

 

The new U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul was officially sworn in on January 10, potentially opening a new chapter in U.S.-Russian relations. After a lengthy waiting period, marked by Republican attempts to block his confirmation, the longtime Russia specialist finally takes up the top post as the key link between the United States and Russia. But what will his tenure mean for U.S.-Russian relations? Experts express cautious hope that his well-honed credentials would help bolster relations during a potentially touchy period.

Sworn in by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, DC, McFaul became the sixth U.S. ambassador to post-Soviet Russia and, curiously, one of only two non-career diplomats to serve as Washington's envoy to Moscow in the past 30 years. The trained academic has more than 25 years of experience in researching and teaching on Russia and the former Soviet Union, and has spent much of his career at the prestigious Stanford University in California.

Clinton noted that McFaul, who is a specialist in democratic transition ­ a Kommersant headline from January 11 touted him as a "color revolution specialist" ­ is uniquely suited for his new post, given Russia's current climate. "The coming months and years will be crucial for Russian democracy. Russians from all walks of life and every corner of this great country are making their voices heard, both face to face and in cyberspace, expressing their hopes for the future," she said, according to a transcript posted on the State Department Web site. "Few Americans know Russia or know democracy better than Mike McFaul. And I can think of no better representative of our values and our interest in a strong, politically vibrant, open, democratic Russia, as well as a deepening U.S.-Russian partnership."

McFaul is the architect of the "reset" in relations between the United States and Russia, formally introduced in early 2009 during meetings between U.S. and Russian delegates. Previously enjoying brief stints on the U.S. National Security Council as President Barack Obama's special advisor for ­ and before that, as senior director of ­ Russian and Eurasian affairs, McFaul has comparatively little political experience, but reportedly enjoys strong bipartisan support from U.S. politicians and lawmakers.

What's more, however, McFaul has amassed a wealth of contacts and built solid relationships with his Russian counterparts. Having spent sporadic periods living, studying and working in both the Soviet Union and Russia, he has firsthand experience in building workable contacts with top political players in Russia throughout the past 20 years. McFaul is so familiar and respected in Russian circles that when Obama informed President Dmitry Medvedev of his selection last year, Clinton said, the Russian president reportedly answered, "Of course. He's a tough negotiator."

For this reason, many have hailed McFaul as the ideal candidate. And according to Matthew Rojansky, the deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, McFaul has proven himself a worthy ally on both sides of the fence. "You could see how seriously he takes the responsibility and how well-respected he is not only by his own team from the administration, but by the secretary of state, State Department colleagues, and colleagues throughout government," said Rojansky, who attended McFaul's swearing in ceremony. "You could also see that he has earned respect from the Russian side, including [Russian] Ambassador [Sergey] Kislyak, who was there, and from many of Russia's neighbors."

Yet campaign season has befallen both the United States and Russia, and has inevitably shifted the electorates' focus from foreign to domestic issues. To this end, other experts remain more cautious about McFaul's potential influence. While he is among the most experienced and well-suited men for the job, according to Fyodor Lukyanov, editor in chief of Russia in Global Affairs, McFaul's arrival comes at a touchy time and his work will be limited largely to damage control. "If somebody uses foreign policy issues in an election campaign, it's usually to blame the opposite side ­ and this is quite common for both countries," he said. "I'm afraid that for ambassadors, this will be quite a difficult period."

What's more, the "reset" has time and again been thrown into question, whether over diplomatic tit-for-tats or the U.S. positioning of a European missile defense shield, which Russia claims is aimed offensively at Moscow rather than defensively against the Middle East. Foreign policy hawks on both sides of the ocean have consistently criticized the plan, but McFaul stands firm on the administration's policy. "On the contrary, today we're on to the next, more complex phase, when the alignment of our interests and values is neither simple nor easy," McFaul said at his swearing in. "On to the next adventure. Russia, here we come!"

Lukyanov, however, cautions that there's little room to advance the "reset" beyond its current status. The policy, he said, has fulfilled its intended major goals, and both administrations should be focusing on further developing relations beyond this point ­ and only after the presidential elections on both sides. "If you take the metaphor 'reset,' it means you push the button once, you don't need to press it forever," he said. "The next phase after a successful 'reset' would be to develop a new agenda between Russia and the United States, based on a slightly better atmosphere between them."