Russia's envoy to US ends his term at time of bilateral turmoil

6/10/2024 12:05

        Russia's envoy to the U.S., a Kremlin hard-liner, was returning to Moscow on Saturday, state media reported, with the end of his term coming at a time of the most hostile relations between the two nations in decades.
        
        "Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Ivanovich Antonov is concluding his Washington assignment and heading to Moscow," TASS state news agency cited the foreign ministry as saying.
        
        The Siberia-born Antonov, 69, a career diplomat, was seen as a hawk who was still capable of striking compromises. Head of the Russian mission in Washington since 2017, he said in July his assignment was coming to an end.
        
        There was no mention of who would replace the envoy, considered a military-style negotiator. His stance on Russia's war in Ukraine has shown stalwart support of President Vladimir Putin's actions.
        
        "It is obvious to us that the enemy will be defeated and victory will be Russia's," Antonov said on Saturday in an unrelated post on the Telegram messaging app, commenting on Russian forces capturing Ukraine's mining town of Vuhledar.