The new Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, has communicated to the White House that Russia was ready to take steps to improve relations with the United States. Russian news agencies reported Antonov presented his credentials to President Trump on Sept 8.

“I have just been received by President Trump to hand over my credentials. On my part, I told him that we hope for improvement in relations between our countries,” Antonov said, according to Russian media. “The atmosphere was good, constructive, and friendly,” reported RFERL.

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Sergei Kislyak, the former Russian ambassador, was returned to Moscow in July after being embroiled in multiple ‘Russia’ scandals in the U.S. during the election.

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Relations between the two countries have been in doubt as tit-for-tat measures started during the waning days of the Obama administration spiraled into major retaliations, recently concluding with the closure and search of multiple Russian diplomatic properties in the United States. The Russian Foreign Ministry called those searches a violation of the Vienna diplomatic agreements.