Shea Levin — text status

Alexander Darchiev, Russia's ambassador to the United States, died suddenly on Wednesday at the age of 66, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced. Moscow gave no cause of death, saying only that the veteran diplomat passed away unexpectedly while still serving in Washington. Putin named Darchiev to the post in March 2025, replacing Anatoly Antonov, and sent him to lead Moscow's push to warm ties with the Trump administration. A career diplomat since 1992, he spent most of his career on North America and previously served as Russia's ambassador to Canada.