Russia's ambassador to the US says no one will speak to him

Russia's ambassador to the US says he has not spoken to his counterpart in Russia in years because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

In an exclusive interview published on Monday, Antonov said that he and his embassy were in a blockade.

The Russian envoy can't meet with senior officials at the White House or the State Department.

According to a news outlet, US lawmakers have refused to meet with Antonov since the election of President Joe Biden, and they won't even take a picture with him.

The Russian embassy still has lower-level contacts with the Biden administration, despite the fact that diplomatic relations have not been completely cut.

During the interview, which was conducted last week in the Ukrainian Room of the Russian embassy in Washington DC., Antonov said that the disconnection cannot go on forever.

It is impossible to imagine problems of strategic stability, climate change, coronaviruses, fighting against terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The White House and the US State Department did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.

The Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs is part of the State Department. It is a difficult relationship, but the lines of communication are open.

The man said that not even Putin talks to him.

The two haven't spoken since he left for Washington.

They have had no communication since Putin launched his war against Ukraine.

He insisted that he still has a direct line of contact with the Kremlin.

In various agencies, I have had enough conversations with senior officials in the Kremlin.

To give the FBI an opportunity to listen to what Mr. Putin had to say to me, was the response of the ambassador.