Russian envoy says the US asked him to defect and condemn Putin’s actions

In a startling disclosure, Russia’s ambassador to Washington says the US authorities had persuaded him to denounce his motherland and condemn the Kremlin’s military operation in Ukraine.

Speaking to Russia’s state TV on Wednesday, Anatoly Antonov said the US spy agency was encouraging defections among Russian diplomats and that he had received a letter asking him to denounce his motherland and criticize President Vladimir Putin’s actions in neighboring Ukraine.

“I recently received a letter by mail, with a call to denounce my motherland and condemn the Russian president’s actions,” he said.

“And I was recommended to make an inquiry to the office of US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman if I am ready to accept the proposal.”

Antonov, however, said he had rejected the “provocative” advance from the US State Department.

The Russian diplomat said that no such thing ever happens in his nation regarding US diplomats in Moscow.

“When I see US media publications calling upon Russian servicemen and diplomats to betray their homeland, I have no words to describe my rejection of such moves,” he asserted.

He also said that Russian embassy staffers were invited to “communicate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

US-Russia dialogue at a record low

In the same TV show, Antonov also admitted that political dialogue between the Kremlin and Washington was at an unprecedented low level, as the trust had been undermined between the two sides.

“Trust is undermined, cooperation is collapsing even on issues of obvious mutual interest,” he said.

Antonov hastened to add that the dialogue was “limited to the discussion of technical issues,” between the two sides.