Russian Foreign Ministry says its ambassador to US has died

Russia’s Foreign Ministry says its ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, has died in Moscow aged 66 after a chronic illness. His death comes as Moscow and Washington have sought to improve relations, making the loss of their senior Russian diplomatic representative in the US significant.

Appointed by Vladimir Putin in March 2025, Darchiev took up a post that had been vacant for six months. He previously served as Russia’s ambassador to Canada from 2014 to 2021, led Foreign Ministry departments covering North America and the North Atlantic, and headed Russia’s team in February 2025 Ukraine peace talks with the US in Istanbul. The ministry has not specified the illness; spokeswoman Maria Zakharova cautioned against conspiracy theories, and said memorial service details would follow.