MOSCOW, July 11 (RIA Novosti) - Former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul called John Tefft the perfect choice to head the US’ diplomatic mission in Moscow.
"Thrilled to see John Tefft officially nominated today by President Obama to be our next ambassador to Russia. Perfect choice," McFaul wrote on Twitter on Friday.
The position became vacant in February when McFaul stepped down after two years as ambassador.
Earlier on Friday, the White House said US President Barack Obama had officially nominated Tefft for the post. The US Senate will now have to approve the nominee.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry aide Yury Ushakov said that the Kremlin approved the candidate.
Tefft served as US ambassador to Ukraine between 2009 and 2013, after holding the same position in Georgia from 2005 to 2009 and Lithuania from 2000 to 2003. Tefft also worked in Moscow as deputy ambassador from 1996 to 1999. From 1989 to 1992, Tefft was deputy head of the department for the Soviet Union (later Russia and the CIS) in the US State Department.
