Russia has summoned US ambassador John Sullivan in protest after President Joe Biden called Vladimir Putin a 'war criminal'. Moscow also warned that bilateral ties between US and Russia are on the verge of rupture.

Russia summons Washington's envoy to Moscow John Sullivan

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he will nominate US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan to be the US ambassador to Russia.

If confirmed by the Senate, Sullivan would be the top US diplomat in Russia at a particularly challenging time for Trump's presidency, which is facing an impeachment inquiry after Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate his domestic political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden

Trump had said in August he was considering Sullivan for the envoy job. Sullivan had also been under consideration to be Trump's national security adviser, a role that ultimately ended up going to Robert O'Brien, the former US special envoy for hostage affairs.

Sullivan will replace Jon Huntsman, who resigned in August after two years in the post, amid speculation that he will run for Utah governor.

Sullivan was a lawyer and had served in previous Republican administrations before becoming the deputy secretary of state in 2017.

Moscow has come under fire from Washington most recently because US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential elections. Russia has denied wrongdoing.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he will nominate US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan to be the US ambassador to Russia. If confirmed by the Senate, Sullivan would be the top US diplomat in Russia at a particularly challenging time for Trump's presidency, which is facing an impeachment inquiry after Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate his domestic political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden Trump had said in August he was considering Sullivan for the envoy job.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he will nominate US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan to be the US ambassador to Russia. If confirmed by the Senate, Sullivan would be the top US diplomat in Russia at a particularly challenging time for Trump's presidency, which is facing an impeachment inquiry after Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate his domestic political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden Trump had said in August he was considering Sullivan for the envoy job. Sullivan had also been under consideration to be Trump's national security adviser, a role that ultimately ended up going to Robert O'Brien, the former US special envoy for hostage affairs. Sullivan will replace Jon Huntsman, who resigned in August after two years in the post, amid speculation that he will run for Utah governor. Sullivan was a lawyer and had served in previous Republican administrations before becoming the deputy secretary of state in 2017. Moscow has come under fire from Washington most recently because US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential elections. Russia has denied wrongdoing.

Trump names John Sullivan as his pick for US ambassador to Russia

Representatives from the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/robert-muller-to-testify-before-house-committees-on-us-russia-probe-in-july-congress-230456&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiMqYiKornjAhXKso8KHeq_DFMQFjACegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2sjx_-5jhYFhUOAKW0ZERJ">United States and Russia</a> are set to meet in Geneva on Wednesday to explore the concept of a new accord limiting nuclear arms that could eventually include China, senior US officials said on Monday.

US President Donald Trump has said that he would like to see a "next-generation" arms control deal with Russia and China to cover all types of nuclear weapons. He has broached the topic individually with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, including most recently at the G20 summit in Osaka last month.

China is not a party to nuclear arms pacts between the United States and Russia and it is unclear how willing Beijing would be to be drawn into talks, said the officials, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.

"A good meeting would be some greater clarity about where the Russians see things going with the Chinese," one official said.

China's Foreign Ministry reiterated that the country had no interest in joining such talks.

"At present, we cannot see the preconditions or basis for China participating in these negotiations between the United States and Russia," ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing.

US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan will lead the delegation, which will include Tim Morrison, a top aide at the White House National Security Council, and representatives from the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Security Agency, the US officials said.

Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, will lead the Russian delegation, the US officials said.

"We actually feel that - touch wood - we've actually got to a point where we can try to start this again," one US official said.

"I say touch wood because we're always just one incident away from unfortunately things getting derailed," the official said.

Relations between the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-says-us-russia-relations-are-getting-worse-and-worse-226830&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiMqYiKornjAhXKso8KHeq_DFMQFjAAegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0tvrZETUunIs5K2GbpcHAL">United States and Russia</a> have been sour for years, deteriorating after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war.

Trump has sought better relations but has been hamstrung by a two-year investigation into the 2016 influence campaign by Russian operatives to attack Trump's Democratic rival in the presidential election, Hillary Clinton.

The investigation by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller found there was insufficient evidence that the Trump campaign illegally conspired with Moscow. The Kremlin has denied any meddling.

Relations also frayed over Russia's poisoning of a former spy and his daughter on British soil, the detention of Ukrainian navy boats and crew near Crimea, and Russia's detention of US citizens, among other incidents.

The Geneva meeting will be just two weeks before the United States withdraws from the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty that required both countries to eliminate short-range and intermediate-range nuclear and conventional missiles.

US authorities believe Moscow is developing and has deployed a ground-launched system in breach of the INF treaty that could allow it to launch a nuclear strike on Europe at short notice. Russia has consistently denied any such violation.

No breakthrough is expected on the INF treaty, the US officials said.

US officials also are not planning to discuss renewal of the 2011 New START treaty, a US-Russia arms control pact which limits deployed strategic nuclear weapons.

One of the officials told reporters it would be "premature" to talk about New START, which is set to expire in February 2021 but can be extended for five years if both sides agree, calling the issues a "next-year problem."

Representatives from the United States and Russia are set to meet in Geneva on Wednesday to explore the concept of a new accord limiting nuclear arms that could eventually include China, senior US officials said on Monday.

Representatives from the United States and Russia are set to meet in Geneva on Wednesday to explore the concept of a new accord limiting nuclear arms that could eventually include China, senior US officials said on Monday. US President Donald Trump has said that he would like to see a "next-generation" arms control deal with Russia and China to cover all types of nuclear weapons. He has broached the topic individually with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, including most recently at the G20 summit in Osaka last month. China is not a party to nuclear arms pacts between the United States and Russia and it is unclear how willing Beijing would be to be drawn into talks, said the officials, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity. "A good meeting would be some greater clarity about where the Russians see things going with the Chinese," one official said. China's Foreign Ministry reiterated that the country had no interest in joining such talks. "At present, we cannot see the preconditions or basis for China participating in these negotiations between the United States and Russia," ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing. US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan will lead the delegation, which will include Tim Morrison, a top aide at the White House National Security Council, and representatives from the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Security Agency, the US officials said. Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, will lead the Russian delegation, the US officials said. "We actually feel that - touch wood - we've actually got to a point where we can try to start this again," one US official said. "I say touch wood because we're always just one incident away from unfortunately things getting derailed," the official said. Relations between the United States and Russia have been sour for years, deteriorating after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war. Trump has sought better relations but has been hamstrung by a two-year investigation into the 2016 influence campaign by Russian operatives to attack Trump's Democratic rival in the presidential election, Hillary Clinton. The investigation by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller found there was insufficient evidence that the Trump campaign illegally conspired with Moscow. The Kremlin has denied any meddling. Relations also frayed over Russia's poisoning of a former spy and his daughter on British soil, the detention of Ukrainian navy boats and crew near Crimea, and Russia's detention of US citizens, among other incidents. The Geneva meeting will be just two weeks before the United States withdraws from the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty that required both countries to eliminate short-range and intermediate-range nuclear and conventional missiles. US authorities believe Moscow is developing and has deployed a ground-launched system in breach of the INF treaty that could allow it to launch a nuclear strike on Europe at short notice. Russia has consistently denied any such violation. No breakthrough is expected on the INF treaty, the US officials said. US officials also are not planning to discuss renewal of the 2011 New START treaty, a US-Russia arms control pact which limits deployed strategic nuclear weapons. One of the officials told reporters it would be "premature" to talk about New START, which is set to expire in February 2021 but can be extended for five years if both sides agree, calling the issues a "next-year problem."

US, Russia to discuss nuclear arms limits in Geneva on Wednesday: Officials

Amid the shift of the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the Kremlin has said that it feared that opening could fuel tensions in the Middle East.

The move of shifting US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is being followed after the United States president Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The announcement was well received by Israel but was criticised by international media.&nbsp

News agency Reuters reported Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov saying that "Yes, we have such fears," when he was asked if the Kremlin was concerned the move could increase tensions in the wider region.

Meanwhile, President Trump's daughter Ivanka reached yesterday to inaugurate the US embassy on Monday evening amid high security.

Around 1,000 police officers will be positioned around the embassy for the inauguration, said spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.

The inauguration will be attended by nearly 800 guests which will be led by US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan.

Sullivan called the embassy "a long overdue recognition of reality."

May 14th also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel.

Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov said that 'Yes, we have such fears,' when he was asked if the Kremlin was concerned the move could increase tensions in the wider region

Amid the shift of the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the Kremlin has said that it feared that opening could fuel tensions in the Middle East. The move of shifting US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is being followed after the United States president Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The announcement was well received by Israel but was criticised by international media. News agency Reuters reported Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov saying that "Yes, we have such fears," when he was asked if the Kremlin was concerned the move could increase tensions in the wider region. Meanwhile, President Trump's daughter Ivanka reached yesterday to inaugurate the US embassy on Monday evening amid high security. Around 1,000 police officers will be positioned around the embassy for the inauguration, said spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. The inauguration will be attended by nearly 800 guests which will be led by US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan. Sullivan called the embassy "a long overdue recognition of reality." May 14th also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel.

US Jerusalem embassy opening could fuel Middle East tensions: Kremlin

The US&nbspState Department on Friday labelled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as "morally reprehensible" governments it said violated human rights within their borders on a daily basis, making them "forces of instability as a result."

In releasing the department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017, acting Secretary of State John Sullivan said the latest US&nbspNational Security Strategy recognised that corrupt and weak governance threatened global stability and US&nbspinterests.

"Some governments are unable to maintain security and meet the basic needs of their people, while others are simply unwilling," Sullivan said.

"States that restrict freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly that allow and commit violence against members of religious, ethnic, and other minority groups or that undermine the fundamental dignity of persons are morally reprehensible and undermine our interests," he said.

"The governments of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, for example, violate the human rights of those within their borders on a daily basis and are forces of instability as a result." 
Sullivan said the United States sought to lead other nations by example in promoting just and effective governance based on the rule of law and respect for human rights.

"The United States will continue to support those around the world struggling for human dignity and liberty," he said.

The US State Department on Friday labelled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as 'morally reprehensible' governments it said violated human rights within their borders on a daily basis, making them 'forces of instability as a result.'

The US&nbspState Department on Friday labelled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as "morally reprehensible" governments it said violated human rights within their borders on a daily basis, making them "forces of instability as a result." In releasing the department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017, acting Secretary of State John Sullivan said the latest US&nbspNational Security Strategy recognised that corrupt and weak governance threatened global stability and US&nbspinterests. "Some governments are unable to maintain security and meet the basic needs of their people, while others are simply unwilling," Sullivan said. "States that restrict freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly that allow and commit violence against members of religious, ethnic, and other minority groups or that undermine the fundamental dignity of persons are morally reprehensible and undermine our interests," he said. "The governments of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, for example, violate the human rights of those within their borders on a daily basis and are forces of instability as a result." Sullivan said the United States sought to lead other nations by example in promoting just and effective governance based on the rule of law and respect for human rights. "The United States will continue to support those around the world struggling for human dignity and liberty," he said.

US labels China, Russia, Iran and North Korea 'morally reprehensible' over rights

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Russia summons Washington's envoy to Moscow John Sullivan

Trump names John Sullivan as his pick for US ambassador to Russia

US, Russia to discuss nuclear arms limits in Geneva on Wednesday: Officials

US Jerusalem embassy opening could fuel Middle East tensions: Kremlin

US labels China, Russia, Iran and North Korea 'morally reprehensible' over rights