US envoy in Kyiv steps down, sparking diplomatic concerns
Bridget Brink, the US ambassador in Kyiv, is resigning from her position, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing an email from a State Department spokesperson who noted that "three years – that's a long time in a war zone."
Brink was nominated for the ambassador position in Kyiv in April 2022 by US President Joe Biden.
Earlier, Reuters reported that Brink is also considering leaving diplomacy in the coming weeks, and she is resigning from the ambassador position of her own volition. She is among the highest-ranking individuals in American diplomacy resigning after President Donald Trump took office.
Media on the ambassador’s resignation. It will hinder US-Ukraine relations
It is unknown who will take her position in Kyiv, but a representative of the American administration told the agency that Chris Smith's candidacy is being considered; he served as the deputy head of the mission in Kyiv from 2022 to 2023.
Reuters, which had earlier reported that the ambassador might resign, comments that Brink's decision to leave the post in Ukraine will further hinder relations between Washington and Kyiv.
Brink has been working in American diplomacy for 28 years and specializes in European and Eurasian affairs. She was an ambassador in Bratislava, the deputy chief of the American diplomatic missions in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Tbilisi, Georgia. She also worked in Cyprus and Serbia.
