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Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Moscow under President Barack Obama has been banned from entering Russia, according to Russian Foreign Ministry sources. Mr McFaul, US ambassador in Moscow from 2012-2014, said he had learnt of the ban when applying for a visa to Russia to help defeated presidential candidate Hillary Clinton prepare for what he thought would be her transition to the White House. Mr McFaul said: "I have hundreds of friends in Russia. I'm really sorry that these sanctions will make communicating with people harder.

GETTY/ AFP Russia has banned former US ambassador Michael McFaul from entering the country

I was told that I am on the Kremlin's sanctions list because of my close affiliation with Obama. I will take that as a compliment! Michael McFaul

"I was told that I am on the Kremlin's sanctions list because of my close affiliation with Obama. I will take that as a compliment! The US sanctioned Russians close to President Vladimir Putin. "To the best of my knowledge, George Kennan was the last US ambassador to USSR/Russia to be banned from travelling there." Moscow declared Mr Kennan persona non grata in 1952.

GETTY President Putin was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Donald Trump

Russia has a travel ban in place on some US officials in retaliation for a US ban on Russian officials entering the US. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not publicly confirm the ban, but ministry sources told Russian news agencies McFaul had been added to a sanctions list in 2014. He was not banned because of his support for President Obama, a Foreign Ministry source told the TASS and RIA news agencies, but because of his "active participation in the destruction of the bilateral relationship and relentless lobbying in favour of a campaign to pressure Russia."

AFP Michael McFaul was a US ambassador to Moscow under President Barack Obama

GETTY Then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gives the oath of office to Michael McFaul in 2011

The Kremlin had strained relations with Mr McFaul when he was ambassador, taking issue with his contact with the opposition. Mr McFaul is now a professor of political science at Stanford University. It is unclear what this will means for US-Russia relations and whether future diplomats under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration will be affected.

President Putin was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Mr Trump following his shock victory. He congratulated the tycoon on his victory in the race to the White House and said had followed the election closely. The Russian President spoke of building a "constructive dialogue" between Moscow and Washington based on principles of equality and "mutual respect" in the interests of their two countries and of the wider world.

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