US ambassador to Russia returning to Washington after the Kremlin urged him to leave amid heightened tensions

• The US ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan, is returning to Washington amid mounting tensions.
• Last week, Russia urged Washington to recall the ambassador for consultations.
• Russia and the US have been engaged in an escalating diplomatic tit-for-tat.

US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan will return to Washington this week to discuss with administration officials rising tensions with Russia, the US Embassy in Moscow said on Tuesday.

"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 statement.

"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 added. "I will return to Moscow in the coming weeks before any meeting between Presidents Biden and Putin."

The announcement came after Russia urged Washington to bring Sullivan home as it announced the expulsion of 10 US diplomats in retaliation to new sanctions from the Biden administration that came in concert with the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats.

Russia had previously recalled its ambassador to the US amid anger over Biden referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "killer."

Tensions between Moscow and Washington have reached historic heights in recent weeks, on top of several years of deteriorating relations. Russia has amassed roughly 80,000 troops along Ukraine's borders, prompting fears of an invasion. In a recent phone call, Biden urged Putin to reduce tensions with Ukraine while proposing a summit in a third country. Russia has said it's reviewing the proposal for a summit.

Meanwhile, the imprisonment of Alexei Navalny, Putin's top critic, has also contributed to the contentious dynamic. Navalny's allies say his health is rapidly deteriorating and that he could be on the verge of death. The White House has warned the Kremlin there will be consequences if Navalny dies. Navalny was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok in August. The apparent assassination attempt has been widely blamed on Putin, whose critics often wind up dead in violent or mysterious ways.