During his tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Russia under President Obama, Stanford Political Science Professor Michael McFaul lived with death threats against him and his family. Since returning to the U.S., McFaul has been banned from returning to Russia, but at home he is one of the most sought-after observers of what he calls the Trump-Putin “Bromance.” His take on Russia today is both insightful and troubling. But as he says, “Diplomacy is not a popularity contest.”

Michael McFaul is Professor of Political Science, Director and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Dr. McFaul served for five years in the Obama administration, first as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House (2009-2012), and then as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012-2014). He has authored several books, including Advancing Democracy Abroad: Why We Should, How We Can and, with Kathryn Stoner, Transition.

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