Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin dies in New York aged 64

Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin died suddenly in New York yesterday. He was 64. Photo / AP

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, a veteran diplomat known as a potent and personable voice for his country's interests as he sparred with his Western counterparts, died suddenly after falling ill yesterday in his office at the mission.

Vitaly Churkin, 64, was rushed to a hospital in New York, where he died, Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, told the Associated Press. His cause of death wasn't immediately known.

He had been Russia's envoy at the United Nations since 2006 and was considered Moscow's great champion at the UN Diplomatic colleagues from around the world mourned Churkin as a powerful and passionate voice for his nation, with both a deep knowledge of diplomacy and a large and colorful personality. He was currently the longest-serving member of the Security Council, the UN's most powerful body.

This December 31, 2016 photo shows New Zealand's UN Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, left, and Vitaly Churkin during a UN Security Council vote. Photo / AP

Among many other issues, he had recently made Russia's views heard on the conflict in its close ally Syria, sparring with diplomats from the US and other Western countries over whether to impose sanctions or take action to end the conflict in Syria.

President Vladimir Putin praised Churkin's professionalism and diplomacy, according to the state news agency TASS.

"The president was grieved to learn about the death of Vitaly Churkin," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the agency.

Russia's foreign ministry called Churkin an "outstanding" diplomat and expressed condolences to his friends and family. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a Facebook post that Churkin was "an extraordinary person. A bright man. We have lost a dear one."

His death, the day before his 65th birthday, stunned officials at the UN's headquarters.

"Our thoughts go to his family, to his friends and to his government," said UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, who heard the news from reporters as it circulated during a daily briefing.

Calling Churkin a "diplomatic maestro and deeply caring man," former US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said on Twitter that he had done all he could to bridge differences between the US and Russia.

French UN Ambassador Francois Delattre, too, said he and Churkin had "always worked together in a spirit of mutual respect and personal friendship," despite their divides. One of Delattre's predecessors, Gerard Araud, now French ambassador to the US, recalled Churkin as "abrasive, funny and technically impeccable."

Vitaly Churkin has Russia's envoy at the United Nations since 2006. Photo / AP

Britain's UN ambassador, Matthew Rycroft, tweeted that he was "absolutely devastated" to hear of the death of Churkin, "a diplomatic giant and wonderful character."

Churkin was previously ambassador at large and earlier served as the foreign ministry spokesman. He had a doctorate in history and was a graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. And he was a child actor in what was then the Soviet Union.

After his long career in diplomacy, Churkin told Russia Today in a February 7 interview this month that the field had become much more hectic than it used to be.

"Unfortunately, the world has not become more stable," he told the Kremlin-backed news outlet. At the time, he "looked in good health and was very energetic," reporter Alexey Yaroshevsky tweeted Monday.

Whatever the challenges, "the UN continues to be an indispensable mechanism," Churkin said in the interview. "Without the UN, we would be acting all on our own, without much coordination, and then we will be even less successful than we have been so far."