Meeting with Trump was 'warm, constructive' - Russian ambassador to US

Russia’s recently appointed ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, has met US President Donald Trump. According to the diplomat, the meeting took place in a “warm and constructive” atmosphere.

Commenting on the meeting, the ambassador said that Moscow is ready to take concrete steps to improve relations with Washington. He also expressed hope that the US' willingness to end its policy of counter-measures would become a reality.

Antonov presented his credentials to President Trump on Friday.

“I told [Trump] that we count on improving relations between our two countries,” the Russian ambassador told journalists, adding that he was greeted in a “friendly and warm” manner by the US president.

“I said that it’s extremely important for international peace and security, and not only for bilateral relations,” he added.

"We agreed with his colleagues, his staff, to continue cooperation," Antonov said.

"We want our relations to be trust-based, respectful, equal and mutually beneficial," he told the media.

Ambassador Anatoly Antonov, 62, arrived in Washington at the end of August. He replaced Sergey Kislyak, who headed the Russian diplomatic mission in the US from 2009.