Russia’s ambassador Kislyak concludes US assignment

Denis Gonchar, Russia’s Deputy Chief of Mission, will head the embassy until Kislyak’s successor arrives.

The outgoing diplomat is expected to be replaced by Anatoly Antonov, presently Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister.

This year marks Kislyak’s 40th term of diplomatic service. He assumed the post of Russia’s ambassador to the US office in 2008. Prior to his Washington posting, Kislyak held the position of Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of the USSR to the UN, was ambassador to Belgium, Russia’s Permanent Representative to NATO, as well as holding several positions within the Foreign Ministry.

During his term as US ambassador, Kislyak became embroiled in various mainstream media reports claiming that he played a major role in the alleged Russian “meddling” affair to secure Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 elections.

One unsourced CNN report even went as far to allege that Kislyak was a member of Russian intelligence; acting as “a top spy and recruiter of spies.” Moscow has repeatedly dismissed these claims as groundless.

As the growing anti-Russian hysteria swept during the presidential campaign and beyond, Kislyak said the US was waging a “huge propaganda campaign against Russia,” while firmly denying any Russian interference.

The anti-Russia campaign marked “the worst point in our relations after the end of the Cold War. You’ve re-entered a policy of containing Russia,” he said during a speech at Stanford University in November 2016. “You’ve tried to contain Russia through economic pressure and through sanctions.”

Warmer relations are still possible, according to Kislyak, as in the modern era, there are no “irreconcilable ideological differences” between Washington and Moscow.