MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/. US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan will return to Washington for consultations, as he himself told TASS on Tuesday.

"I believe it is important for me to speak directly with my new colleagues in the Biden administration in Washington about the current state of bilateral relations between the United States and Russia. Also, I have not seen my family in well over a year, and that is another important reason for me to return home for a visit. I will return to Moscow in the coming weeks before any meeting between Presidents Biden and Putin," the ambassador pointed out.

According to the US embassy, "Ambassador Sullivan is returning to the United States for consultations this week."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on April 16 that Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov at a meeting with Sullivan had recommended that the US ambassador return to Washington for consultations.

Tensions between Russia and the US rose after US President Joe Biden had said in an interview with ABC News that the Russian authorities would have to "pay a price" for their alleged interference in US elections and made harsh remarks about Putin. The Russian ambassador to Washington arrived in Moscow for consultations on March 21. On April 15, the US president signed an executive order imposing new sanctions against Russia. Moscow announced retaliatory measures on April 16.