American Ambassador to Russia John Tefft: biography

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:54

World politics is based on the interaction of countries. And it, in turn, depends on the personality of the ambassador of one major power to another. Let's talk about how John Tefft influences relations between Russia and the United States. This person with a very interesting career has been working in Russia since 2014. Thanks to the Internet, the nuances of his activities are widely known. Before presenting his credentials, bloggers wrote a lot about how John Tefft could harm Russia. Let's see if there is a real ground for worries. Is the American ambassador as influential as many believe?

Biography

It is necessary to say a few words about the identity of the diplomat. It is impossible to study a person without having an idea of the environment in which he was brought up. John Tefft was born back in 1949. His family then lived in Madison, Wisconsin. They did not need funds, so John received a good education. He received a master's degree in history from the University of Washington. At the age of twenty-three, John began his diplomatic career. The young man marriednurse. They raised two daughters. One is now engaged in jurisprudence, the second - in show business. US Ambassador John Tefft does not provide more information about himself. In any case, most of the sources talk in detail about his career, without delving into his personal life. It's probably justified. Tefft is called (according to some analysts, quite deservedly) the creator of "color revolutions". Agree, the activity is dangerous. You can easily make enemies. Therefore, it is not very desirable for everyone to reveal the nuances of their personal lives.

Career

It should be noted that John Tefft (photo is presented in the article) gave more than four decades to the diplomatic service. From the very beginning he specialized in the countries of Europe, he was especially interested in the socialist camp. The accumulated experience and knowledge helped a lot in the work when Tefft was appointed ambassador to the countries of the former USSR. And for the first time he came to Europe in 1986. He was then assigned to the US Embassy in Italy. In 1989 he returned to his homeland. Until 1992, he served in the US State Department. He held the position of deputy director of the department dealing with the affairs of the USSR, later - the CIS and the Russian Federation. Interestingly, the collapse of the Soviet Union occurred precisely at this time. John, so to speak, was then gaining experience from older comrades. No one denies that the United States has invested a lot of effort in the competition with the Union. It is believed that the Americans won. And there were diplomats on the front lines of that fight. Among them is our hero. He took an active part in the events of those days. Obviously,very successfully, because the authorities noted his merits, entrusting him with more serious, independent work. In 2000, he became the US Ambassador to Lithuania, having previously worked in Moscow for a couple of years (1996-1999).

US Ambassador to Russia John Tefft

As already mentioned, the blogosphere met the appointment of a new representative from across the ocean with disturbing articles. And there was a reason. Before Moscow, he had already managed to check in Tbilisi and Kyiv. And the activities of the US ambassador in these countries turned out to be very "fruitful." But this will be discussed further. And in April 2014, John Tefft was appointed Ambassador to the Russian Federation. There were no objections from the latter. Quite calmly, the President of the Russian Federation received the new ambassador, and his biography seemed to have no effect on the decision of the head of state. The activities of the American ambassador are always under close surveillance, although they do not talk about it publicly. The fact is that a diplomatic representative in any country has many opportunities to work with the population. This, by the way, has been demonstrated to the whole world by Western representatives in Ukraine for the last two years. And not a day goes by when another piece of news appears about who the American ambassador is "pressing" on now. John Tefft is naturally well aware of his possibilities. In what direction does he implement them? For what purpose is it used? This can be assumed by studying the experience of his work in other countries.

Georgia

This country will not soon forget what John Tefft, the US Ambassador, has done. He worked in Georgia from 2005 to 2009, actively supportedSaakashvili, directing his reform activities. It should be noted that Georgia has indeed achieved some success. They were able to cope with the manifestations of corruption in the police and state bodies at the lower levels. Is Tefft involved in this? Probably. Not a single decision passes by the US ambassador. In the satellite countries, it is this person who tells what to do and how to do it. In any case, this is what happens in those states where pro-American politicians are admitted to power. This is exactly what happened in Georgia. The American ambassador had a huge influence on Saakashvili. He consistently directed him to a conflict with the Russian Federation. The efforts were crowned with success, the Georgian regular units attacked the Russian peacekeepers. Only the effect of the special operation turned out to be the opposite. Tefft coped with his task, but Saakashvili let him down. Instead of a victorious war, the West received a reason for ridicule and a giant slap in the face. Until now, at all venues, they remember how Saakashvili was biting his tie. Jokes about this do not stop. However, Tefft did his job. Georgia will look askance at Russia for a long time to come. Countries and peoples have been drawn into a conflict situation.

Ukraine

In general, Washington decided that a specialist is irreplaceable. In 2009, it was moved to a new important site - to Ukraine. Here, as we all now know, the ground was being prepared for a coup d'état. The current US Ambassador to Moscow, John Tefft, has distinguished himself in Ukraine by supporting with all his might the instillation of European values in the population. He openlyadvertised gay parades, led a wide public activity. It should be noted that the ambassador is a position with broad powers. He not only communicates with the head of state and the diplomatic department, his duties include supporting the implementation of cultural and other projects in the country. And this makes it possible to communicate with a huge number of people. The US Ambassador in some circles of any country is respected even more than the President, so they try to stay close, to fulfill all requests and orders. And the Americans do not spare money to pay for services. Obviously, Tefft was faced with the task of organizing a new color revolution. In 2013, it began, and we all witnessed the success of John in this mission.

Here is such an ambassador arrived in Moscow

Now we understand the feelings of people who love Russia. After all, this person knows how to find dissatisfied people in society, organize and direct them in the right direction. It was noticed that the American ambassador to Russia, John Tefft, immediately began to establish close contacts with the non-systemic opposition. He travels around the country, observing the few protest movements. It must be said that the former ambassador did not show love for the leadership of the Russian Federation either. McFaul is also considered a supporter of color revolutions. However, he was more engaged in theoretical developments. Tefft is a clear practitioner. He acts systematically, firmly, purposefully. He demonstrated this on the examples of Georgia and Ukraine. It is clear that in the Russian Federation he was appointed for a reason. Moreover, John Tefft was not seen in ties with the patriots. Hismore interested in people famous for scandalous criticism of the President of the Russian Federation.

Working methods

Tefft does not hide what he wants to achieve. He is considered a very straightforward diplomat. So, in Ukraine, he openly said more than once that his goal is democratic changes in this country. Like, we need open elections and reforms. And the implication in this was this: I will seek a change of government by any means. Which is basically what happened. The Ambassador operates through a system of grants. This is a common American tactic. Those who are dissatisfied, who agree to work in the paradigm of US interests, are given funds. The grant can be of any subject. Its recipient must work on creating a public protest against the current government. Tefft himself calls this the development of civil society. But it turns out it is extremely one-sided. Apparently, the same actions are expected of him in Russia: the issuance of grants to those who agree to sell their homeland, the transfer of funds to the non-systemic opposition, and so on. But in the Russian Federation, society is somewhat different. People are mostly patriotic. This does not mean the absence of discontent. But the US does not love more than its own government. It is not easy in such a situation for the ambassador - the creator of color coups.

Is it only about politics?

It is proposed to return to Ukraine again. Why was there a coup? We are told that the point is to turn the population against the Russian Federation, to create a NATO or US military base in this territory. And if you look at the events taking place in Ukraine directlynow, unpleasant facts are being revealed. Economic enterprises are preparing for privatization. The country is ruined, therefore, the assets have lost some of the value. Now they will be sold at a lower cost to "their" buyers. The head of the government of Ukraine has already stated that only American companies will be allowed to privatize. Even the Europeans were refused. Here is such a coup to reduce the cost of tidbits of the economy.

Tefft's true task in Russia

From an economic point of view, you can try to consider the work of the US Ambassador to Russia. It's no secret that the ruble has been fluctuating a lot lately. Its value against the dollar is declining. This leads, do not be surprised, to a decrease in the value of assets located in Russia. There is speculation that Tefft was sent to the Russian Federation to ensure that the American oligarchs participate in the privatization of the most tidbits of the economy when the country gets into time trouble. The Russian currency was supposed to fall along with oil prices. And so it happened. But planners underestimated the state's resilience and economic resilience. The budget is not bankrupt. Tefft was faced with the fact that he could not immediately complete the tasks. This, of course, does not mean that he will give up. But Russia repulsed the terrible onslaught, did not fall under the deflationary wave, like Ukraine.

Conclusion

Judging by the achievements, the US Ambassador to the Russian Federation is a stubborn and successful person. He knows his job, has extraordinary abilities. But that's no reason to be afraid of him. As they say, Russia is strong in unpredictability. The Ambassador certainly knows about this expression. Therefore, he should prepare for the fact that his service in Russia will not be easy. There is a worthy answer to any of his plans.