Russia's newly appointed ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov arrived to Washington D.C. on Thursday.
"Now we need to sort this out calmly, very calmly and act in a professional manner. Hysterical impulses are of no use to us," Antonov stressed, referring to the closure of Russia's consulate in San Francisco.
"I will try to convey to the Americans that we are not enemies but should be partners in the interests of Russia and the U.S.," he told the Kommersant business daily.
The US secretary of state Rex Tillerson spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a phone call on Thursday. Lavrov said Moscow “regrets an escalation of tension not initiated by Russia”, according to the state-run RT news channel. A senior US administration official said the call was “professional” and that Lavrov “agreed to the sentiment that it was important to find a way to improve our relations”.
