He served at the United States Embassies in Warsaw, London and Moscow, and as advisor on the U.S. delegation to the negotiations on intermediate-range nuclear forces in Geneva.
From 1978 to 2004 he was a foreign service officer with the US Dept. of State.[3] From 1996 to 1997, he served special assistant to the president and senior director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia on the National Security Council.
From 1998 to 2000, he served as the United States Ambassador to Ukraine.
From 2001 to 2004, he served as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, with responsibility for Russia and Ukraine.