April 20 (UPI) -- U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan will return to the United States this week for consultations with American officials amid growing tensions between the Biden administration and the Kremlin.
Sullivan made the announcement Tuesday, saying in a statement that he believes "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."
The announcement comes four days after the Russians suggested that Washington recall him. Both countries imposed new sanctions on each other last week.
Russia recalled its own ambassador to the United States last month after President Joe Biden described Russian president Vladimir Putin as a "killer."
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Sullivan, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, made the announcement in a statement released by the U.S. embassy in Russia.
"Also, I have not seen my family in well over a year, and that is another important reason for me to return home for a visit," Sullivan said in the statement. He said he would return to Moscow "in the coming weeks" before any meeting between Biden and Putin.
In an April 13 call with Putin, Biden suggested a face-to-face summit meeting to take place in a third country in the coming months.
Last week, the Biden administration imposed new sanctions on Russia and expelled 10 Russian diplomats. The sanctions were in response to Russia's interference in U.S. elections, its cyberattack on government and private company computer networks in the United States and its occupation of Crimea.
Russia responded by expelling 10 U.S. diplomats and the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that eight U.S. officials were banned from visiting Russia. Those officials included Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
Then there were reports Monday that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been transferred from his jail to a prison hospital amid reports that he's close to death.
Russia's penitentiary system said Navalny has been examined by a doctor on a daily basis at the high-security prison east of Moscow and was in "satisfactory" condition.
U.S. officials warned Russia on Sunday there will be consequences if he dies.
