Russian diplomacy about to get tougher edge in Washington

[TomSea]

Russian diplomacy about to get tougher edge in Washington

Noted hardliner Anatoly Antonov is taking over from Sergey Kislyak, who used a softer touch as the Russian ambassador.

By Ali Watkins  07/11/2017 04:05 PM EDT

A new — and likely more aggressive — chapter in Russian diplomacy is about to begin in Washington with the departure of Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, whose soft-power approach to D.C. will be taken over by noted hardliner Anatoly Antonov.

The switch in what has become one of Washington’s most scrutinized jobs comes as the controversy over President Donald Trump and his allies’ ties to Moscow intensifies, especially with the revelation that Donald Trump Jr. met with a Kremlin-linked lawyer at the height of the campaign after being told she could provide damaging information on Hillary Clinton as “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”

The scandal has at times centered on secret meetings with Kislyak — a long-time and well-respected diplomat who held the top post in Washington for nine years before his 2016 meetings with Trump officials made him a politically radioactive figure.

Continued: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/11/anatoly-antonov-new-russian-ambassador-240416