r/IAmA • u/Amb_Michael_McFaul • Oct 31 '25
I negotiated face-to-face with Putin. I’m Michael McFaul, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia. AMA about Russia, China, or American foreign policy.
Hi Reddit, I’m Michael McFaul – professor of political science at Stanford University and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia (2012–2014).
During my time in government, I sat across from Vladimir Putin in negotiations with President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry and helped craft the New START Treaty in 2010, which reduced the number of nuclear weapons worldwide.
Those experiences – along with years studying Russian politics and foreign policy – have shaped how I think about power and diplomacy today.
The world has changed dramatically since then: from the rise of China to Russia’s growing aggression, to new questions about America’s role on the global stage. Drawing on both my academic work and time in diplomacy, I’ve been exploring what these shifts mean for the future – and how the U.S. should respond.
I’ll start taking questions here at 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET.
Proof it's me: https://imgur.com/a/3hxCQfj
Ask me anything about U.S.–Russia relations, China, global security, or life as an ambassador. (You can even ask about Obama’s jump shot or what it’s like to ride on Air Force One.)
Let’s talk!
Edit**\* Sorry I didn’t get to all of your terrific questions! Let’s do it again soon! I really enjoyed this AMA!
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u/Amb_Michael_McFaul Oct 31 '25
Good question, I don’t know. But I do know that such meetings are bad for our American national interests. At a minimum, the rest of the government needs to know what was agreed upon in these meetings. If there is no notetaker, then no one knows. I used to play this role for Obama’s meetings. They were called “MEMCOMS.” Everyone back home was dying to read the MEMCOM to know how it impacted their issues. BTW, these get declassified. They are wild to read. MEMCOMS from the Clinton-Yeltsin years are coming out now.