Michael McFaul, who stepped down last week as U.S. ambassador to Russia and is considered one of the leading American experts on post-communist Russia, has joined NBC as a news analyst,
the network announced.
The ambassador was considered popular with ordinary Russians and a thorn in the Kremlin's side, according to
The Moscow Times.
McFaul is a political scientist by training with an expertise in slavic languages and international relations. McFaul served as U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation from January 2012 to February 2014.
His previous appointments include working on the National Security Council as a Russia expert.
He continues his affiliation with Stanford University, where he is the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, as well as a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
McFaul will contribute analysis to NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC on Russia, foreign affairs, and national security.
He has appeared on the "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams," the "Today" program, as well as "Morning Joe" to explain the unfolding Ukraine crisis.
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