Ambassador McFaul?

Looks like President Obama has tapped Michael McFaul, his top Russia advisor and architect of the “reset,” as the country’s new ambassador to Moscow. The story, first reported in The New York Times, has pleased lots of reporters here – McFaul is accessible and likes to talk.

The Russian press has welcomed the move too.

A story on Kommersant FM, the radio station of the country’s leading daily, said the appointment means “the Americans more than seriously plan to work with Russia in 2012 and beyond (if, of course, the ‘end of the world’ doesn’t interfere).” (Note: 2012 has become shorthand for Russia’s presidential election, due to be held in March of that year and during which some expect a Putin comeback.)

“The plan to appoint McFaul, I’m sure, speaks to the fact that during that precise time it’ll be very important for Obama to have in Moscow not just a person who knows Russia, not just his own guy, practically a friend, but someone who by virtue of his experience has more possibilities than any career diplomat.”

As the New York Times notes, McFaul, a former Stanford professor, will be just the second non-career diplomat named to the post in three decades.

State-owned Rossisskaya Gazeta speculates that McFaul’s first job will be to negotiate a deal with the Russians allowing for the greater transport of Afghan-bound cargo via Russia, thanks to worsening relations with Pakistan.

The only place where I found some negative feedback was in Nezavisimaya Gazeta. The paper cites an unnamed “expert” as saying: “Such a bad candidate to the post of ambassador to Moscow hasn’t been made in 25 years. McFaul is politically biased and caught up in Russian intrigues. His appointment exposes the Obama administration’s total lack of understanding of the situation in Russia. The departure of current Ambassador John Beyrle is a big loss for Russian-American relations.” Ouch.

Ambassador Beyrle is supremely popular in Russia, not least because his father fought alongside the Soviets in WWII after escaping Nazi capture. He launched his 3-year ambassadorship to Moscow in July 2008.