McFaul Leaves U.S. Ambassador Post Amid Ukraine Turmoil
Michael McFaul officially relinquished his position as U.S. ambassador to Russia on Wednesday morning, leaving one of the U.S.' most vital diplomatic posts empty amid political upheaval in neighboring Ukraine. McFaul, known for his active presence on Twitter, wrote goodbyes to Russian users of the microblogging service throughout the morning and tweeted a photo of himself with Sheila Gwaltney, the deputy chief of mission in Moscow, who will head the U.S. Embassy until McFaul's successor is appointed. The Kommersant report said that a decision on McFaul's successor could be made within the "next few days" but that the approval process for the new ambassador could take up to several months given that the candidate must be approved by the U.S. Senate.