US ambassador to Russia heading home for consultations amid tensions

Russia on Friday said that it would expel 10 US diplomats, bar eight incumbent and former American high-ranking officials from entering Russia indefinitely, among other restrictions.

"This extremely tense situation objectively requires the ambassadors of our countries to be in their respective capitals to analyze developments and hold consultations," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov has been summoned back to Moscow for a month amid the deteriorating ties.

While authorizing punitive measures against Russia, Biden also called for de-escalating the tensions and proposed a summit with Putin in Europe this summer to address a range of bilateral issues.

Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with his Russian counterpart on Monday and discussed the prospect of the summit.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have been adversarial in recent years. The two were bitterly divided over Ukraine, human rights, and cybersecurity issues, and they mutually accused the other of domestic political interference.