U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink is stepping down, the State Department confirmed Thursday, as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed Brink’s resignation but did not specify when she would depart. The announcement comes at a pivotal point for American foreign policy, with officials working to de-escalate the conflict and bring an end to the ongoing war in Eastern Europe.
Brink, a veteran diplomat, was appointed by Joe Biden and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in May 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She was the first U.S. ambassador to return to Kyiv since 2019, reestablishing America’s diplomatic presence after the embassy was evacuated at the onset of the war.
Prior to her post in Ukraine, Brink served as ambassador to Slovakia and held senior positions on the National Security Council. Fluent in Russian, she built a reputation for advocating firmly for U.S. interests in the region and was a prominent supporter of military aid to Ukraine, frequently appearing alongside Ukrainian officials.
Her resignation comes as the Trump administration pivots toward diplomacy, with increased emphasis on securing a ceasefire. U.S. and Russian officials held rare in-person talks in Istanbul on Thursday to work toward restoring diplomatic functions. The two sides exchanged formal notes to finalize an agreement to stabilize banking services for their embassies—an essential step to keeping diplomatic operations intact.
The State Department said further talks are expected but gave no timeline.
