Putin's Game: A Historical Perspective

Ambassador McFaul, a Stanford graduate and former ambassador to Russia, hosted an incredible dinner last week that I was extremely fortunate to attend. During the Cold War, the Russia-led USSR was completely isolated from the rest of the world. Although the iron curtain was lifted in 1991, Russia’s political situation has remained in a controlled turmoil ever since. I had the pleasure of attending a Los Angeles World Affairs Council dinner last Thursday night with former United States Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, who eloquently explained the political situation in Russia through a talk entitled “What’s Putin’s Game?”

McFaul began the night with a student-led question and answer, in which we were able to address everything from Russian foreign policy decisions in the Middle East to the connection between government and business in Russia. After, we transitioned into a dinner followed by a speech and a general question and answer. In all honesty, I was slightly disappointed with the open Q&A because I felt that it was tinged by a degree of fear-mongering and unnecessary vitriol that prevented the former ambassador Ambassador Michael McFaul from being completely objective and painting a clear picture of politics in Russia. That being said, however, I thought that the night was extremely informative and shed light on many subjects that I had not previously considered; in this sense, Ambassador McFaul motivated me to research Russian politics and explore the nuances of Russia’s current “hot peace.”

Overall, I enjoyed meeting Ambassador McFaul immensely, and I appreciated his candid attitude to an oft-cloistered environment in the political sphere. In the future, I hope to learn more about Russian politics and gain a greater understanding of the historical motivations behind the decisions that are currently being made in Russia's government.