Russian ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov “ends“ its diplomatic mission, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA, referring to Russian media.
„Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Ivanovich Antonov ends his appointment in Washington and heads to Moscow,”, the Interfax news agency reported, citing a representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Newspaper "Vedomosti" specifies that the diplomat will return to Moscow within hours.
Antonov has been the Russian ambassador to Washington since August 31, 2017. In the period 2004-2011, he headed the Department for Security and Disarmament Affairs of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Between 2011 and 2016, he was the Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia. In 2016, he was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister.
TASS notes that Antonov heads the Russian embassy in the US in the most difficult period of bilateral relations.