Fresno visit for former U.S. Ambassador to Russia: 'Too early to judge what President Trump will do'

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul was a impermanent talker successful Fresno connected Wednesday astatine the San Joaquin Town Hall series.

McFaul addressed precocious schoolhouse students, covering topics from his world enactment connected governmental subject and revolutions to his experiences successful planetary relations, including his clip arsenic the U.S. Ambassador to Russia nether President Obama. 

"I deliberation it's excessively aboriginal to justice what President Trump volition bash - helium mightiness person immoderate constricted success," said McFaul referencing the ongoing struggle successful Ukraine.

McFaul was the ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014 nether President Obama and said helium was capable to play hoops with him.

"In 2002, close aft September 11th, violent attacks successful our country, Putin and President Bush were cooperating against terrorism, that was astir apt 1 of the astir cooperative times successful U.S.-Russian history," said McFaul.

McFaul answered pupil questions astir the causes of the struggle successful Ukraine, the aboriginal of U.S.-Russia relations, and imaginable parallels betwixt President Trump and Vladimir Putin. 

A Sunnyside High School elder asked connected the taxable of Ukraine, the origins of the struggle tendency to articulation NATO.

"So ever since its creation, NATO has been, a contentious contented betwixt the West, the United States, the Soviet Union, and past Russia...but I don't deliberation NATO enlargement was the cardinal origin of this conflict," said McFaul.

The San Joaquin Valley Town Hall is simply a non-profit enactment that is tally by an all-volunteer committee of directors.