Obama aide to be ambassador to Russia

WASHINGTON, May 29 (UPI) -- A senior Obama administration policy adviser on Russia is the president's choice to be the next U.S. ambassador in Moscow, White House officials said.

Sources told The New York Times 47-year-old Michael McFaul is President Barack Obama's choice to replace outgoing Ambassador John Beyrle.

During the past two years, McFaul has been the administration's key strategist in improving relations with Russia and has lived in Moscow. He's also a Stanford University professor and fellow of the Hoover Institution, the report said.

Since he became an adviser to Obama, the two countries have formalized a nuclear cooperation pact, signed the New START arms control treaty and Russia has allowed the United States further access to get military supplies into Afghanistan.

While Obama has not made a formal announcement of the appointment, he reportedly informed Russian President Dmitri Medvedev of his intentions at the Group of Eight summit in Paris, the newspaper said.

Once formally nominated, McFau's appointment would have to be approved by the Senate, which has a Democratic majority.