The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced that Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, has completed his term and is returning to Moscow amid ongoing tensions between the two superpowers. In a brief statement carried by Russian news agencies, the ministry did not offer any additional information on Antonov’s departure or reveal his successor.
The diplomat’s decision to end his service in Washington comes after he expressed growing difficulties for Russian diplomats working in the United States, as bilateral relations continue to deteriorate. In a recent interview with reporters, Antonov revealed that he and his colleagues have been subjected to “threats of physical violence.
Antonov was appointed Russia’s ambassador to the United States in August 2017 during a period when relations between the two countries were already strained due to allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Moscow has denied these claims and accused politicians in Washington of fear-mongering and deliberate attempts to slander Russia.
Tensions between the United States and Russia have only intensified since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, raising concerns among some observers that the situation could escalate into a full-blown war. In recent years, both countries have expelled each other’s diplomats multiple times. In 2017, the United States ordered the closure of Russia’s consulate in San Francisco and properties associated with its trade mission in Washington and New York. Moscow retaliated by demanding the shutdown of the American consulate in St. Petersburg.
In 2020, the US suspended operations at two of its remaining consulates in Russia. As Anatoly Antonov returns to Moscow, it remains unclear who will succeed him as Russia’s ambassador to the United States and whether his departure marks a shift in diplomatic relations between the two superpowers.