Putin Fires Russian Ambassador to the US Antonov
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Photo: Getty Images. Anatoly Antonov dismissed from post of Russian ambassador to the USA
Antonov’s return “does not mean a reduction in Russia’s diplomatic representation in the United States,” the Kremlin noted.
Kremlin Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has relieved Anatoly Antonov of his duties as Russia's ambassador to the United States, who had held the post since 2017. This was reported by Russian media on Thursday, October 10. According to the decree, Antonov was relieved of his duties as ambassador to the United States and Russian observer at the Organization of American States in Washington.
"Our ambassador has been working for quite a long period of time. He worked in really difficult conditions, when relations (Russia and the US – ed.) were practically at zero. He worked without having constant contacts with representatives of the American administration. The work was difficult. He successfully fulfilled his mission," Ushakov said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Antonov’s return “does not mean a reduction in Russia’s diplomatic representation in the United States.”
Antonov, 69, headed the diplomatic mission amid worsening US-Russia relations. In 2017, the US closed the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco. In 2018, the consulate in Seattle ceased operations. Restrictions on the work of Russian diplomatic missions were introduced, in particular, due to suspicions of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election on the side of Republican Donald Trump.
Antonov is under international sanctions for supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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