France24, 2017-02-21 – Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations died suddenly after falling ill at his office at Russia’s U.N. mission.
Vitaly Churkin was taken to a hospital, where he died Monday, according to Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov. Churkin would have turned 65 Tuesday. The cause of his death was not immediately known.
Churkin had been Russia’s envoy at the United Nations since 2006. He was the longest-serving ambassador on the Security Council, the U.N.’s most powerful body.
Russian President Vladimir Putin esteemed Churkin’s “professionalism and diplomatic talents,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the state news agency TASS.