MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/. Moscow’s decision on ending Anatoly Antonov’s mission as Russian ambassador to Washington has nothing to do with the upcoming US presidential vote, Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov told TASS.

When asked if the end of Antonov’s mission to Washington stemmed from the upcoming US election and whether Russia sought to distance itself from election meddling accusations, he answered in the negative.

"As far as I understand, our ambassador worked there for quite a while," Ushakov noted.

An embassy official told TASS on October 5 that Antonov had completed his mission to the US after leading the Russian embassy in Washington for seven years.

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in turn, told TASS that Moscow’s choice of the next ambassador to Washington would not depend on the outcome of the upcoming US presidential election. According to him, the next envoy will be appointed in due course. Peskov stressed that the end of Antonov’s mission did not mean a reduction in the level of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington.