US ENVOY TO RUSSIA GOES HOME

US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan said on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) he would leave Russia temporarily to discuss bilateral ties with colleagues in Washington days after Moscow suggested him to return home for consultations amid tensions between the two countries. “I believe it is important for me to speak directly with my new colleagues in the Biden administration in Washington about the

current state of bilateral relations between the United States and Russia,” Sullivan said in a brief statement. The envoy said he would return to Moscow “in the coming weeks” before a possible in-person meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.