U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink is stepping down from the role she held for nearly three years, according to the State Department.
The announcement comes just days after she received rare public criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, over her wording in a public statement about a Russian attack on his hometown. It’s unclear what impact the criticism had on Brink’s exit.
“Ambassador Brink is stepping down. She’s been the ambassador there for three years — that’s a long time in a war zone. And frankly, the war has gone on for far too long,” a State Department spokesperson told The Hill.
“The real issue is whether the Russians and Ukrainians are ready to do what’s necessary to end this war.”
Brink has served as the country’s ambassador in Kyiv since May 2022, a few months after Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine.
Brink joined the State Department in 1996. A former U.S. ambassador to Slovakia, she was confirmed by a unanimous vote in the Senate.
Her departure comes as the U.S. attempts to forge a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, ending the war that has gone on for more than three years.
Washington has tried to institute two targeted ceasefires in Eastern Europe: one regarding energy infrastructure and the other restricting “use of force” in the Black Sea. Despite both sides expressing openness to a limited ceasefire, the Trump administration has so far been unable to seal a deal.
“President Putin does support the idea of the need for a ceasefire, but before that, a number of questions must be answered,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier this week. “These questions are still hanging in the air — so far no one has given an answer to them.”
It is unclear who will succeed Brink. The U.S. ambassador to Ukraine was criticized by Zelensky last week over her response to Russia’s strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky’s hometown.
In light of the attack on Kryvyi Rih, a city in central Ukraine, where at least 19 people were killed and dozens more were injured, Brink said on social media that she was “horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih.”
“More than 50 people injured and 16 killed, including 6 children. This is why the war must end,” the U.S. ambassador wrote without mentioning who fired the strikes.
“Unfortunately, the response from the U.S. Embassy is surprisingly disappointing — such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction,” Zelensky said in a lengthy post on the social media platform X. “They are afraid to even say the word ‘Russian’ when speaking about the missile that murdered children.”
While it is unclear if Brink formally filed her resignation paperwork, she is likely to leave in the coming weeks, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The Hill has reached out to the National Security Council and the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine for comment.
