Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced that Alexander Darchiev, its ambassador to the United States, died suddenly at 66. No further details were immediately disclosed. He had served in Washington since March 2025, following decades of work on North American affairs, including a posting as ambassador to Canada. His appointment came shortly after Donald Trump returned to the presidency.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that Alexander Darchiev, the country’s ambassador to the United States, had died at 66. The ministry described the death as sudden and did not provide further details in its initial statement. He had taken up the Washington post in March 2025, around a year and a half before his death.[1], [2]
His appointment followed Donald Trump’s return to the United States presidency and came several years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Darchiev specialized in relations between Moscow and Washington. The ministry’s tribute described him as an experienced leader and diplomat working in one of the most critical areas of Russian foreign policy. Before becoming ambassador, he had already served in several positions at the Washington embassy.[1]
Darchiev entered diplomatic service in 1992 and worked in the Foreign Ministry’s North American department. He became an adviser at Russia’s United States embassy in 1997 and was minister-counsellor there from 2005 to 2010. He led the North American department in 2010, served as ambassador to Canada from 2014 to 2021, and returned to head the department before his Washington appointment.[1]
