Russia's new ambassador to Washington, Alexander Darchiev, presented copies of his credentials to U.S. State Department officials on Thursday.
The ceremony took place at Blair House, the White House residence for distinguished guests. The documents were presented to Acting U.S. Chief of Protocol Abigail Jones. Louis Bono, currently a senior official in the State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, also attended the ceremony.
It is unclear when U.S. President Donald Trump might accept Darchiev's credentials, and there has been no comment from the U.S. side yet on his appointment.
Darchiev, a career diplomat, arrived in Washington on March 26. Until recently, he headed the North Atlantic Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. From 2014 to 2021, he was Russia's ambassador to Canada. In the past, he has served twice on long-term assignments at the US Embassy - in 1997-2002 (advisor) and in 2005-2010 (advisor-minister). He has been in the diplomatic service since 1992. He is a recipient of state awards. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree appointing Darchiev as ambassador to the US on March 6. The previous Russian ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, ended his term on October 5, 2024.