Russia officially appoints ambassador to US

Russia has officially appointed Alexander Darchiyev, who previously headed a department in the Foreign Ministry, as ambassador to the United States.

As reported by Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency TASS, Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed a decree on 6 March appointing Darchiyev as Russia's ambassador to the United States and Russia's permanent observer to the Organisation of American States in Washington.

Russia's previous ambassador to the United States ended his tenure in October 2024.

The intention to appoint ambassadors as soon as possible was announced after talks between the US and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia on 18 February. Washington handed Moscow an agrément (a note of acceptance) for Darchiyev's appointment after another round of talks on 27 February in Istanbul.

Prior to this role, Darchiyev, 64, headed the North Atlantic Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Over his diplomatic career, Darchiyev has spent a total of 10 years working at Russia's diplomatic mission in Washington, serving as an embassy counsellor from 1997 to 2002 and as an envoy counsellor from 2005 to 2010.