WSB Exclusive Speaker
U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012-2014); Stanford Professor and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow; Washington Post Columnist; NBC News Analyst
A recognized expert on Russia, U.S.-Russia relations, and American foreign policy around the world, Michael McFaul helps audiences understand our new Cold War with Russia, the historical origins, and Putin’s interference in American political elections.
Michael McFaul served as U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation from January 2012 to February 2014. Prior to becoming ambassador, he served for three years as the special assistant to President Obama and senior director for Russia and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council. His interest, knowledge and experience with Russia dates back many decades, giving him a historical and forward-thinking prospective on recent events which he addressed in a New York Times opinion piece: “The decision by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to annex Crimea ended the post-Cold War era in Europe.
Since the late Gorbachev-Reagan years, the era was defined by zigzags of cooperation and disputes between Russia and the West, but always with an underlying sense that Russia was gradually joining the international order. No more. Our new era is one defined by ideological clashes, nationalistic resurgence and territorial occupation—an era in some ways similar to the tragic periods of confrontation in 20th-century Europe. And yet there are important differences, and understanding the distinction will be critical to a successful American foreign policy in the coming decades.” He discusses with audiences the escalating crisis between the United States and Russia, as well as speaking more generally about America’s place in the world. Today, McFaul is a professor of political science and Hoover fellow at Stanford University.
He is also the director of the Freeman Spogli Institute (FSI) for International Studies. He also works as a news analysts for NBC and writes a monthly column for the Washington Post. He is the author and editor of several monographs, including most recently the New York Times best-seller, From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation Michael McFaul takes audiences inside the crisis in Ukraine and the Russian presence in Crimea. He explains why and how this crisis occurred and analyzes the long-term security and economic implications of this new era in Russia’s relations with the West. What effect will the sanctions have? Should they be stronger? How do Russia’s actions impact the ongoing war in Syria and the Iran nuclear agreement? How is this new era similar to and different from the Cold War? McFaul sheds light upon one of the greatest challenges to European—and global—stability in several decades, explaining not only the political implications but also the impact it could have on your business.
Under Vladimir Putin, Russia’s government has exerted far more influence in global affairs than its economic or military might should allow. This newfound influence is due, in large part, to its inordinate use of state-sponsored cyber-attacks. As former U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation and Senior Director for Russia and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council, few experts can match Michael McFaul’s knowledge of Russia’s strategic objectives and its methods for achieving them.
In this talk, Ambassador McFaul explains what Putin had to gain by intervening in the 2016 presidential election and how he pulled it off. He then diagnoses the American reaction to this unprecedented meddling, both during the campaign and today, and prescribes ways we can enhance America’s cyber security and protect the integrity of future elections.
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