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Russian ambassador to United States takes up his duties

At around 6:00 pm local time (01:00 Moscow time on Monday) Anatoly Antonov drove into the territory of the Russian Embassy in Washington

WASHINGTON, June 21. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov, who returned to Washington on Sunday, took up his duties, the Russian Embassy in the United States reported on Twitter.

"On June 20, Anatoly Antonov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States, returned to Washington, D.C. and took up his duties," the tweet says.

At around 6:00 pm local time (01:00 Moscow time on Monday) Antonov drove into the territory of the Russian Embassy in Washington.

A few hours earlier, he flew on a regular Aeroflot flight to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, where he was met by Russian diplomats.

Russian-American relations, which are going through hard times, have become even more aggravated after a high-profile interview in which US President Joe Biden said that the Russian leadership will have to "pay the price" in connection with Moscow-attributed attempts to interfere in the American elections. In addition to that Biden answered in the affirmative when asked whether he considers Russian President Vladimir Putin a "killer." After that, Antonov was invited for consultations to Moscow, where he was from March 21. US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan departed for consultations in Washington on April 22.

On June 16, a Russian-American summit was held in Geneva. The initiative to hold it came from Washington. Following the meeting, Putin and Biden agreed on the return of the ambassadors. They also discussed the state and prospects for the further development of bilateral relations, issues of strategic stability, as well as issues on the international agenda, including interaction in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the settlement of regional conflicts.

The U.S. State Department and the White House have not yet responded to a TASS request to inform when US Ambassador John Sullivan is expected to return to Moscow.

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