Russia's ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, has died aged 66

He took up the Washington post in 2025 as Moscow sought to improve relations with the Trump administration

Alexander Darchiyev, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's North America Department and a candidate for the position of a new ambassador to the United States, poses for a picture before a session of the Federation Council's committee on foreign affairs in Moscow, Russia, Nov 25, 2024. Kommersant Photo/Dmitry Dukhanin via Reuters