WASHINGTON, January 17. /TASS/. Even the most hard-core, uncompromising Russophobes realize the illusory nature of their wish to ‘cancel’ Russia, however, "not everyone in today’s America will take the risk" to admit this, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, told TASS in an interview.

"Even the most hard-core, uncompromising Russophobes realize the illusory nature of their wish to ‘cancel’ our country, with its great history and culture and major say in world affairs. It is impossible to solve virtually any problem of importance to humankind without Russia, be it challenges to international or regional security, the fight against terrorism, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, or climate change," the diplomat said.

"Another thing is that not many brave souls in contemporary America will dare to openly admit this. Not to mention government officials, who simply use Russophobia as a means to climb the career ladder or as a convenient tool to wheedle more budgetary largesse for their particular agencies," Antonov noted.

He remarked that "It is amazing how easily the United States abandons the fundamentals on which the country was once built. Freedom of speech has given way to attempts to muzzle anyone who may express views different from those considered acceptable by Washington's Beltway groupthink consensus."

In addition, Antonov drew attention to various ongoing attempts in the United States to put pressure on his compatriots.

"We continue to record attempts to intimidate our fellow citizens, including those by intelligence services, the Ukrainian diaspora and representatives of the ‘fifth column’, who have been given shelter by the [US] authorities. The blatant anti-Russian activity stems from the unwillingness of the American political class to bear any responsibility for its failure. Gritting their teeth, they continue to doggedly pursue their policy of achieving our country's 'strategic defeat'," the ambassador said.

"We, as diplomats in Washington, are confident that Russia will withstand these tests and emerge from them even stronger and more truly sovereign. Our former Western partners may feel free to engage in self-hypnosis, but they will have to reckon with us," Antonov emphasized in conclusion.

The full text of the interview is available on the TASS website: https://tass.com/politics/1733371