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Diplomat hopes Trump’s pick for envoy to Moscow will steer Russian-US ties out of crisis

The Russian diplomat claims that Sullivan’s nomination for US ambassador to Russia indicates that Washington places great importance on relations with Moscow

John Sullivan AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

John Sullivan

© AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

MOSCOW, November 8. /TASS/. John Sullivan is likely to be appointed US Ambassador to Russia, and Moscow hopes that the American diplomat will be able to pull bilateral relations out of the rut that they are currently stuck in, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters on the sidelines of the 2019 Moscow Nonproliferation Conference on Friday.

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"All of us saw...Sullivan speaking at the Senate committee’s hearing," he said. "[It] looks like he will be appointed, but we need to see what happens during the voting on his candidacy in the Senate."

According to Ryabkov, Sullivan’s nomination for US ambassador to Russia indicates that Washington places great importance on relations with Moscow. "Let’s hope that, if confirmed and appointed, Sullivan will pursue a policy, which will help to take relations to a new level from their current, extremely difficult state," he stressed.

The senior diplomat recalled that he had talked with Sullivan in the summer during the Geneva-hosted strategic stability consultations. "He made a very favorable impression on me, [he is] a very knowledgeable individual, a man of great depth, in addition to being a talented diplomat," Ryabkov stated, noting that Sullivan had some "background in legal firms and numerous important links with the previous US administration." "In general, this is, of course, a unique experience, which I hope will help him work productively in Moscow, if and when he receives this appointment."

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