Moscow Responds to Rumors of Russian Ambassador to US Kislyak's Replacement

© AP Photo / Cliff OwenRussian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak
Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak - Sputnik International
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There is no spontaneity regarding the appointment of a new ambassador to the United States, and everything is proceeding as planned, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Monday, commenting on former US ambassador in Moscow Michael McFaul's recent comment.

A handout photo made available by the Russian Foreign Ministry on May 10, 2017 shows US President Donald J. Trump (C) speaking with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergei Kislyak during a meeting at the White House in Washington, DC - Sputnik International
Russian Ambassador Kislyak Comments on Prospects of Ties With US
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Sunday, McFaul on his Twitter wished his Russian counterpart Sergei Kislyak well, mentioning that the diplomat was getting ready to leave the Russian embassy in the United States. McFaul added that had enjoyed working with Kislyak, even when they disagreed.

Zakharova, in a post on her Facebook account, said that all night reporters were asking her to confirm Kislyak's departure from Washington in July, allegedly suggested by McFaul.

"In our country, the president decides whether to return or appoint ambassadors. This happens in a planned manner immediately after the appointment of a new ambassador… And if a decision would be made to appoint a new ambassador to the United States (and this is a whole procedure which takes several months, thus, there is no question of spontaneity), Sergey Ivanovich Kislyak, who has worked in the United States for nine years, will go down in the history of bilateral relations as a person, who did everything possible for their development, even in the most difficult moments," Zakharova wrote.

Kislyak has been serving as Russia’s ambassador to the United States since 2008. According to diplomatic sources, his replacement, Anatoly Antonov, has been approved by the foreign affairs committee of the lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, in late May.

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