Russiaupdated 11m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 9 May 2025Russian Foreign Ministry Says Ambassador Alexander Darchiev Dies Suddenly at 66
“No cause of death was immediately announced.”
“The news of the ambassador's death came the same day as Trump's peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met”
Photo: dc.gov / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
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Alexander Darchiev, Russia's ambassador to the United States, died at age 66. The Russian Foreign Ministry said he died suddenly and provided no cause.
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Ambassador Darchiev dies
Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, died Wednesday at the age of 66, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The Foreign Ministry said Darchiev “passed away suddenly,” and it did not announce a cause of death.
ABC News reported that Darchiev had headed the Russian Embassy in Washington since March 2025, and it said no cause of death was immediately announced. The Russian Foreign Ministry also described Darchiev as “an outstanding diplomat, an experienced leader, a kind friend, and a mentor,” and it called him “a consummate professional and a brilliant expert on American affairs.”
Career and appointments
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Darchiev headed the Russian Embassy in Washington since March 2025, after he had previously headed the Russian Foreign Ministry’s North America Department. Euronews said Darchiev replaced Anatoly Antonov as ambassador to the US in early 2025, shortly after Donald Trump’s election.
The Kyiv Independent said Darchiev was appointed ambassador to the U.S. in March 2025, and it said his time in office was marked by a thaw in U.S.-Russia relations as Donald Trump resumed diplomatic contacts with Moscow. The Kyiv Independent said the news of the ambassador’s death came the same day as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Ukrainian and Russian officials in Abu Dhabi for another round of peace talks.
No cause, condolences, next
The Russian Foreign Ministry extended condolences to Alexander Darchiev’s family and loved ones, and it said it had “lost an outstanding diplomat, an experienced leader, a kind colleague and a mentor.” The Russian Foreign Ministry also described Darchiev as “an exceptional professional,” while CNN reported that the cause of his death had not been publicly confirmed.
The Russian Foreign Ministry did not comment on the cause of death, and it did not provide more details on the circumstances of his passing. The death announcement arrived as Moscow and Washington continued efforts to restore deteriorated relations since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Euronews said the death came during that broader diplomatic backdrop.