US ambassador to Ukraine to step down as peace talks uncertain

WASHINGTON — The U.S. ambassador to Ukraine is stepping down from her post after nearly three years in Kyiv amid uncertainty over the Trump administration’s attempts to broker a peace deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

The State Department said Thursday that Bridget Brink will be leaving her post in the near future, although it was not immediately clear exactly when she would depart. Brink assumed the post under former President Joe Biden’s administration and has been a staunch advocate for U.S. military assistance to Ukraine.

Her resignation had been expected for some time, especially considering the Trump administration’s premium on rapprochement with Russia and ending the war.

“Ambassador Brink is stepping down,” the department said. “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 on for far too long.”

“The real issue is whether the Russians and Ukrainians are ready to do what’s necessary to end this war,” it said.