Bridget Brink, the US Ambassador to Ukraine, has stepped down due to escalating political disagreements with President Trump's administration, according to sources familiar with her decision.
Source: Financial Times
According to FT, Brink faced increasing pressure from high-ranking officials within the Trump administration who questioned her willingness to support the new White House strategy regarding Ukraine.
Trump's policies differ significantly from those of the previous Biden administration, which provided billions in military and financial aid to Kyiv and imposed sanctions on Russia.
"Ambassador Brink is resigning. She has served there for three years – a significant duration in a conflict zone," stated US State Department spokesperson Tami Bruce.
Western diplomats in Kyiv characterized Brink as a crucial advocate for Ukraine both publicly and privately since the early weeks of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. One described her as a "strong personality" and a "serious diplomat," adding that the pressure from both the Trump and Zelensky administrations negatively impacted her.
Ukrainian officials viewed the ambassador as overly critical of them, particularly regarding the country's efforts in combating corruption.
Officials pointed to noticeable changes in her messaging recently, which they believed aligned more closely with Trump's position and became increasingly critical of Ukraine.
Analysis of Brink's posts on social media platform X, conducted by the Financial Times, revealed significant changes in her rhetoric after Trump's inauguration on January 20. In the 75 days leading up to the new president's assumption of office, she criticized Russia and the war in Ukraine 53 times, while in the 75 days following, she only made five posts mentioning Russia, none of which placed blame on it for military actions.
Background: Multiple media outlets had earlier reported on the potential resignation of the US Ambassador to Ukraine, citing sources.
Later, the US State Department confirmed Bridget Brink's resignation, explaining it as the conclusion of her three-year term amid the ongoing war.
Recently, Brink faced criticism from Volodymyr Zelensky after she failed to mention Russia in her post about the Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih on April 4.