Anatoly Antonov

Anatoly Ivanovich Antonov (Russian: Анато́лий Ива́нович Анто́нов, IPA: [ɐnɐˈtolʲɪj ɪˈvanəvʲɪt͡ɕ ɐnˈtonəf], born 15 May 1955) is a Russian politician, military officer and diplomat who is currently the Ambassador of Russia to the United States, formally replacing Sergey Kislyak  on 21 August 2017 by presidential decree. With a reputation as a hardliner and tough negotiator, Antonov took up his post in Washington, D.C. on 1 September 2017.



Quotes

 * Talks between the Russian and US presidents are important not only for our countries, but for the entire world as well. Russia and the United States bear special responsibility for global security, so they need to act in a balanced way and avoid confrontation
 * Aimed at ensuring US hegemony in a world entangled in a network of Pentagon bases, US military spending has brought death and suffering and not freedom or democracy to people. The case in point is Iraq and Libya, where Washington has sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lives to its ambitions and destroyed countries that used to be prosperous.
 * US public should think about the rationale of the US authorities’ decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty and hence to relaunch the arms race. This can only serve the interests of the US defence industry, because it holds the promise of huge military contracts. As for the American people, this will only make their lives less safe.
 * Russian Embassy Weekly #63 (17 December 2018)

===Speech at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterrey (13 October 2018) === [Full text online


 * Current relations between Russia and the US struggle through the worst times. Historians, politicians, political scientists cannot recall any other time, when our relations were in such a miserable state. Other countries, international peace and security suffer because of this...


 * Moscow hopes that Washington will not delay its response on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) before it expires... All the more pressing issue is what will happen to nuclear disarmament after 2021, when the New START is set to expire. Due to a deep crisis in the Russia–U.S. relations it would be naive to assume that our countries are likely to conclude a new treaty on strategic offensive arms by 2021...
 * Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested... extending the New START for another five years. The Americans are silent...The Treaty...was previously regarded by the majority of countries as a 'golden standard' in disarmament...


 * US accusations against Russia of violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) are groundless... We await clear evidence and continue to deny any groundless accusations.


 * The US has deployed 'Aegis Ashore' missile defense systems in its base in Romania and plans to do the same in Poland... Moreover, these systems are being deployed in direct proximity to our borders. If we were to deploy such missiles near the U.S. territory, wouldn’t it be taken in America as a direct threat to its national security?


 * There are a lot of questions on how quickly we can reach denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. We support the American efforts in this area. We stand ready to back the US However, it is concerning that neither a single warhead, nor even a missile has been dismantled to this day....the DPRK has made several direct steps to meet American demands...We think it is high time to think about the whole set of restraints imposed on North Korea...Actions from one side mean that the other side should take steps as well.


 * We, as many other states, are troubled by the situation in nuclear non-proliferation... we call upon all countries to clearly and explicitly adhere to their obligations within the nuclear deal. We think that the unilateral withdrawal of the U.S. from the agreement poses a threat to the non-proliferation regime.


 * I would like to note a positive momentum for international stability gained during the Russia–U.S. Summit in Helsinki. It was a good talk. The intent of both presidents to bolster international security is evident. It is regretful, though, that it has not been put into tangible actions. We are ready for a constructive dialogue.
 * I would like to stress, that if we want to strengthen strategic stability, we will require an equal dialogue with mutual consideration of each other’s interests. It is necessary to revive the channels of bilateral communication on strategic stability and create conditions that will allow us to advance strengthening non-proliferation of the WMD [weapons of mass destruction] and means of their delivery, to preserve and adapt, where necessary, mechanisms of arms control. It all will have a positive impact on international stability, peace and security, on the principles of equal and indivisible security for everyone,