The US ambassador to Ukraine who has offered robust support during the war is stepping down, the State Department said Thursday, as President Donald Trump shifts gears and seeks a negotiated solution with Russia.
Bridget Brink, a career diplomat, was nominated by then-president Joe Biden and arrived in Kyiv in May 2022, months after the Russian invasion which led the United States to push through billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine.
It is normal for US ambassadors to leave after several years, especially in conflict zones where they do not bring their families, although her departure comes as Trump shakes up policy on Ukraine.
“She’s returning home,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters.
Brink has been ambassador “for three years during a time of war. For those three years, an extraordinary performance there, and we wish her well,” Bruce said.
“We know that we’re working for that war to end, and that is our focus,” she added.
Trump dressed down Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 28 in an extraordinary White House showdown, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance calling him ungrateful for US aid.
Since then, Ukraine has tried to patch up relations and Trump has voiced frustration with Russia’s refusal to join Ukraine in backing a US proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.
