The Russian ambassador to the United States returns to Washington in an optimistic spirit after the summit

Moscow, June 20 (EFE). The Russian ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, returned to the United States today to resume his work in an “optimistic spirit” after the summit held on Wednesday between the two countries’ presidents in Geneva, where they agreed. to return their ambassadors to their posts.
“I am going in an optimistic spirit,” Antonov told the official RIA Novosti news agency before taking off from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport.
“Based on the results of the meeting of the two presidents, I look forward to constructive work with American colleagues to build pragmatic and fair relations,” the Russian ambassador said.
“There is a lot of work ahead. We are making progress,” he added.
His US counterpart in Moscow, John Sullivan, also plans to return “soon” to Russia, according to a message on the Twitter account of US Embassy spokesman in the Russian capital Jason Repulse on Saturday.
“Following an important summit, I look forward to returning to Moscow soon to lead a strong team and implement the instructions President Biden outlined in Geneva, including strategic stability, human rights, and a stable and predictable relationship with Russia,” he wrote.
The presidents of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the United States, Joe Biden, agreed in Geneva to return Antonov and Sullivan to Washington and Moscow, respectively, and to work to improve the work of the two commissions, which have recently been hampered by tensions and measures aimed at constraining them. work.
Antonov was called in for consultations last March when Biden called Putin a “murderer” in an interview.
Then the Russian Foreign Ministry recommended that Sullivan leave Russia, although it did not declare him persona non grata.
The US ambassador left Moscow in April.
That same month, the United States imposed sanctions on Russia and expelled 10 diplomats for their alleged interference in the 2020 presidential election, their alleged role in the massive SolarWinds cyber attack, and their actions in Ukraine and Afghanistan.
The Kremlin responded with similar measures, including listing the United States on a list of “unfriendly countries”, indicating that Washington would not be able to employ local staff at its diplomatic missions on Russian soil, and recently restricting the movement of American diplomats on Russian soil. .