Washington approves new Russian ambassador to US, Russian Foreign Ministry says

Russia has received U.S. approval to appoint Alexander Darchiev as its new ambassador to Washington, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Feb. 28.

Darchiev's departure for his post in Washington is expected soon, the ministry said.

Darchiev, a veteran diplomat with a half-decade of experience in Washington, previously served as Russia's ambassador to Canada from 2014 to 2021 and later as the director of the North American Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The approval comes amid renewed diplomatic engagement between the U.S. and Russia. A Russian delegation arrived at the U.S. Consul General’s residence in Istanbul on Feb. 27 for a second round of talks, following an initial meeting in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18.

While the first meeting reportedly focused on Moscow's war against Ukraine, the second round did not include discussions on the war, a U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed.

According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the Istanbul discussions centered on embassy operations.

The previous Russian ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, was dismissed from his post on Oct. 10, 2024.

Under the U.S. President Joe Biden administration, the U.S. had largely severed official diplomatic contacts with Russia in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump's return to office has shifted U.S. foreign policy. His administration engages more directly with Moscow while adopting a more critical stance toward Ukraine and its allies.