Russian ambassador to UN Vitaly Churkin dead: Diplomat dies suddenly in New York
Former US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said that Mr Churkin had been a force for good in US-Russian relations.
She tweeted: “Devastated by passing of Russian UN Amb Vitaly Churkin. Diplomatic maestro &deeply caring man who did all he could to bridge US-RUS differences.”
Mr Churkin was a strident defender of Russian foreign policy, particularly the intensive bombing of Aleppo last year in order to crush rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar-al-Assad. The Russian Ambassador to Turkey, AndreI Karlov, was assassinated just before Christmas last year by a police officer who shouted “Don’t forget Aleppo” before gunning him down.