Russian state-run news agencies TASS and Interfax on October 5 reported that Anatoly Antonov “is concluding” his stint as Russia’s ambassador to the United States and returning to his home country, citing the Foreign Ministry in Moscow. No mention was made of a successor, with the move coming at a time of high tensions between the two nations. In July, Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported that Antonov had at that time suggested his term was reaching its conclusion, quoting him as saying: “My assignment is coming to an end. I hope together we will continue to defend the interests of our Fatherland!" Antonov, 69, was appointed as the Kremlin’s envoy in Washington by President Vladimir Putin in August 2017.
