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Kremlin: Possible change of Russian envoy to US not linked to FBI chief dismissal

The Kremlin spokesman thus commented on media reports that Russia might replace its Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak

US President Donald Trump and Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak Alexandr Sherbak/TASS

US President Donald Trump and Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak

© Alexandr Sherbak/TASS

SOCHI, May 11. /TASS/. The probability of changing the Russian ambassador to the United States is not linked with the FBI chief’s dismissal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

The presidential spokesman thus commented on media reports that Russia might replace its Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak.

Responding to a question about whether a possible decision on the ambassador’s replacement and the dismissal of FBI chief James Comey looked like a "swap’, Peskov said: "No, this does not look like this." "We do not make any swaps with ambassadors."

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Russia’s lower house to consider Deputy FM Antonov for ambassador to US — source

Speaking about the possibility of changing the Russian ambassador in the United States in principle, the Kremlin spokesman said that "we do not announce personnel reshuffles either."

"As is always the case, we’ll make an announcement, if and when the president signs the relevant decrees," Peskov said.

A source familiar with the matter told TASS earlier on Thursday that the candidacy of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Anatoly Antonov for the ambassador to the US had been submitted to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.

"Yes, the corresponding letter has been sent from the Foreign Ministry," the source said when asked to comment on a report of Kommersant business daily.

The newspaper wrote on Thursday that Russian lawmakers may consider Antonov’s candidacy by the end of May.

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Nord Stream gas leak investigation

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Kiev troops may strike targets in Crimea with ATACMS missiles — newspaper

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