U.S. ambassador to Russia will return home briefly: State Department

• The Russians did not forcibly expel Sullivan as they did with 10 other U.S. diplomats in retaliation for President Biden's sanctions last week.
• "Ambassador Sullivan will be returning to the U.S. this week to visit his family and meet with members of the new administration with whom he has not had a chance to consult since he agreed to continue serving in his post indefinitely," a State Department spokesperson told Axios Monday night.
• "He will return to Moscow in the coming weeks."

Between the lines: There's a lot we don't know, yet, about the circumstances surrounding this decision.

• Biden is handling a complicated and increasingly dangerous situation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is amassing troops around Ukraine.
• Biden announced Russia sanctions but also dropped U.S. plans to send Navy ships to the Black Sea to deter Putin’s aggression against Ukraine.
• And Putin has accepted Biden's invitation to address a virtual climate change summit on Thursday.
• Biden's team is also exploring the possibility of a summit between the two leaders later this year.