The Mendeleyev Journal: Michael McFaul to replace John Beyrle as US Ambassador to Russia For many it is sad to think of US Ambassador John Beyrle no longer heading the Moscow Embassy. Emphatically it would be a shame if someday the world learned that while Beyrle has been both a loyal and enthusiastic supporter of President Obama’s “reset” efforts, he was replaced simply because he wasn’t “Obama’s boy.”
To be clear, soon to be named Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul knows Russia. The 47 year old former political science professor at Stanford University is credited as being a main architect of the “reset” policy in U.S.-Russian relations in 2009. If confirmed by the Senate, McFaul would be the first ambassador to Russia in 30 years who did not come to the post as a career diplomat and sometimes a fresh perspective is of value. Mr. McFaul is the author of seven books on Russian politics and co-head of a bilateral working group on civil society with the Kremlin’s chief political strategist, Vladislav Surkov. By all accounts he should be a good Ambassador.
We do think however that current Ambassador John Beyrle is marked forever with the fact that he was nominated by President George W Bush. Mr. Bush appointed Ambassador Beyrle to the position on May 13, 2008. A trusted diplomat and then serving as Ambassador to Bulgaria, Beyrle was confirmed by the Senate on June 27 and arrived in Moscow on July 3, 2008. He formally presented his credentials to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the Kremlin on September 18, 2008.
This was not Beyrle’s first tour of service in Moscow. He first served as a political officer at the Moscow Embassy from 1983 to1985 and again as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2003 to 2005. Prior to service as US Ambassador to Bulgaria he was the Counselor for political and economic affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Prague and a member of the U.S. delegation to the Conventional Forces in Europe negotiations in Vienna. He also served in the State Department for several years and as foreign policy adviser to U.S. Senator Paul Simon.
John Beyrle however is not the kind of man who plays politics as some would expect. He has taken seriously the fact that he is
America’s Ambassador to Russia, not simply representing a particular president or party. Ambassador Beyrle is highly respected by the Russian people, partly because of ties to Russia that extend almost 70 years ago. Not just fluent, he is exceptionally conversant in Russian and authors a popular LiveJournal blog (
http://beyrle.livejournal.com) read by thousands of Russian citizens daily.
The reaction of the Russian people to this skilled diplomat was illustrated this past January following the terror bombing at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport. We wrote about that experience here on the
Mendeleyev Journal. On the day after that horrible attack, Ambassador Beyrle came to Domodedovo bearing flowers for the make-shift memorial that had been erected. To those gathered at the scene this wasn’t simply another foreign dignitary stopping by to leave some flowers out of official obligation. As we wrote on that day,
It just seemed right. He was the only man who fit this task perfectly given his history and personal link to the Russian people. Russian onlookers quietly and reverently moved aside and then silently watched, many with tears in their eyes as United States Ambassador John Beyrle respectfully moved toward the memorial. Before leaving Beyrle spoke these powerful words to onlookers,
“I am here to express my personal sympathy to the families of the victims…
These flowers are just my expression on behalf of the American people of our solidarity with the Russian people.”
Why was John Beyrle so respected and admired on that day? Because Russians know and respect him every day and not just on important days. You see, not only has Ambassador Beyrle gone to extraordinary lengths to communicate via a regular Russian language blog, he is a frequent guest using his fluent Russian skills to connect with citizens via Ekho Moskvy talk radio, and the Russian TV news channels First Canal and Vesti-24.
But of all the ties the one that strongly binds this Ambassador close to the hearts of the Russia people comes through his father. As we wrote on these pages in January, Beyrle’s father was the only known American to have served in both the American and Soviet armies when the two countries were allies in the war against Nazi aggression. Shot down by German anti-aircraft fire, the senior Beyrle quickly learned Russian, donned a Soviet army uniform and continued fighting until the end of the war when decorated by both countries for his service. Russians respect that kind of history and because of his father the Ambassador is accepted as a brother.
A lot has been accomplished since President Obama asked Ambassador Beyrle to remain in his post. It was Ambassador Beyrle who formally introduced President Obama to Mr. Medvedev and Mr. Putin and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to President Medvedev and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Later Mr. Beyrle would introduce Vice President Joe Biden to the Kremlin. Under Beyrle, the Spaso House, official Moscow home of the US Ambassador, has again become a place of sharing culture and common visions with the Russian people.
Of course we wish the incoming Ambassador Michael McFaul success, but one this day we prepare to soon bid farewell to a genuine friend of the Russian people in Ambassador John Beyrle.
Mr Obama broke the news to Russian President Medvedev during the G-8 meetings in France and we hope that this change isn't a mistake. Time will tell. For now it appears that a new master will soon take over duties at Spaso House in Moscow.
Photo: Sept. 2008, President Medvedev and Ambassador Beyrle share champagne after formal presentation of diplomatic credentials at the Kremlin Grand Palace.More photos for this story at the Mendeleyev Journal.
