Valentyna Polishchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
The U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, is stepping down from her role after three years of service, the State Department announced Thursday. Though it’s unclear when exactly Brink is slated to depart from her role, the State Department said in a statement to NBC News: “She’s been the ambassador in Kyiv for three years—that’s a long time in a war zone. And frankly, the war has gone for far too long ... The real issue is whether the Russians and Ukrainians are ready to do what’s necessary to end this war,” they continued. The news was initially reported by CBS News, which wrote that Brink had been making farewell calls to colleagues. Citing three sources, CBS also reported that Brink’s resignation stemmed from an “unusual mix of personal and policy concerns” including recent layoffs at USAID. President Donald Trump, for his part, has had a fickle relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The two got into an explosive argument in the Oval Office in February, after which Trump briefly paused military and intelligence aid to the beleaguered eastern European nation, but he resumed support once Ukraine agreed to partake in peace talks with Putin.
