New Russian envoy to US to present credentials on Thursday, State Department says

By Jasper Ward

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Russia's new ambassador to the United States will informally present his credentials to the Trump administration on Thursday, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.

Alexander Darchiev, who was recently named as Russian ambassador to the U.S., will present his credentials at 2:15 p.m. EDT (1815 GMT), according to the department's public schedule.

The department said Louis L. Bono, the Senior Bureau official for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, will attend.

Russia's RIA state news agency, reported on Wednesday evening that Darichev had arrived at his residence in Washington.

RIA said a number of journalists had gathered outside his residence, but he offered no comment.

The agency said he told Russian journalists on arrival that a new "window of opportunity" had opened in the normalisation of relations and the operation of diplomatic missions.

Moscow has not had an ambassador in the U.S. since its last ambassador left his post in October.

Darchiev previously served two long stints in Russia's Washington embassy and was ambassador to Canada from 2014 to 2021. Like other senior Russian diplomats, he has been known in recent years for strong public denunciations of the United States and the West.

Darchiev's appointment comes as Russia and the United States try to mend damaged relations since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and hold talks to end the war.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he wants to soon meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in what would be the first meeting between Russian and U.S. leaders since 2021.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward, additional reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Christian Schmollinger)