Dismissing The Reduction Of Russian-US Diplomatic Relations, Kremlin: New Ambassador To Be Appointed

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov. (Wikimedia Commons/US Mission Geneva/Eric Bridiers)

The Kremlin on Monday dismissed speculation of a decline in Russia's diplomatic relations with the United States, when Ambassador Anatoly Antonov left Washington DC after his term ended, saying the ambassador would only be appointed later.

When asked if Ambassador Antonov's return indicated relations with Washington were experiencing a decline, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no.

"No, of course, an ambassador will be appointed at the right time," Peskov said.

Earlier, Russian media TASS reported Ambassador Antonov returning to Moscow on Saturday, following the end of his tenure, as relations between Moscow and Washington tightened.

"Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Ivanovich Antonov completed his duties in Washington and headed for Moscow," TASS reported, citing a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Citing Anadolu from Russian news agencies last weekend, Ambassador Antonov left Uncle Sam's country at 17.00 local time.

Antonov, 69, who is a career diplomat, has served as the Russian Ambassador to the US since 2017. Last July, he said his duties would end soon.

Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was not currently scheduled to accept Antonov, but added that the ambassador had the opportunity to report to the president every day.

It is known, Antonov who was born in Siberia is seen as an aggressive but still able to achieve compromise.

It was not stated who would replace the senior diplomat who was considered a military-style negotiator.

Western tensions with Russia over Ukraine today, no comparison in history and an error can cause a disaster, a senior Russian diplomat said Thursday last week, when asked about a comparison with the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

The two-and-a-half-year Ukraine war has been Europe's largest land war since the Second World War, sparking major confrontations between Russia and the West, with Russian officials saying the war is now entering its most dangerous phase.