[6] In 1978, Antonov graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), and in 1983 received a master's degree.

[8] In March 2017, he was named as one of the candidates for the post of Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, after the death of Vitaly Churkin.

"[10] In early autumn 2016, he was considered to be the next Russian Ambassador to the United States as the Kremlin assumed that Hillary Clinton would win the presidential election and, therefore, bilateral relations would remain strained.

However, despite the fact that Donald Trump won the election, Antonov was still chosen to take over the post from Sergey Kislyak, who had been the ambassador since 2008.

[14][15][16] On 21 August 2017, Vladimir Putin formally appointed Antonov as the Ambassador of Russia to the United States by presidential decree.

[21] In February 2023, Antonov claimed that the U.S. government was attempting to demonise Russia and "fuel the Ukrainian crisis" by accusing Moscow of crimes against humanity.