MOSCOW, April 16. /TASS/. Russian president’s aide Yuri Ushakov, who met with US Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan, suggested he go to Washington for consultations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

"Today, Yuri Ushakov recommended Ambassador John Sullivan also go to his capital city for thorough, serious consultations," he told a news conference.

According to the Russian foreign minister, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov is still in Moscow, continuing consultations. "The situation quite a lot of layers and needs to be thoroughly scrutinized," he stressed.

The Russian-US relations chilled following US President Joe Biden’s notorious interview when he said that Moscow would have to "pay a price" for their alleged interference in US elections and voiced strong words about Russian President Vladimir Putin. After that, Ambassador Antonov was invited to Moscow for consultation and has been staying in the capital city since March 21.

US President Joe Biden on Thursday signed an executive order imposing anti-Russian sanctions. Thus, US companies cannot buy Russian debt securities issues by the Central Bank, the National Welfare Fund or the finance ministry after June 14, 2021. Sanctions were slapped on 16 legal entities and 16 individuals allegedly involved in meddling with the US elections. Eight individuals and legal entities were blacklisted for operation in Crimea. Apart from that, the United States is expelling ten Russian diplomats from the Russian embassy in Washington, with "representatives of Russian intelligence services" among them, as the US side claims.

On Friday, Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Ushakov had informed the US ambassador to Moscow about Russia’s steps in response to the US new sanctions.