Ex-US Ambassador to Ukraine confirms resignation, accuses Trump of being ‘complicit’ with Russia

Bridget Brink, the former US Ambassador to Ukraine, publicly confirmed her resignation on May 16, citing a fundamental disagreement with the Trump administration’s handling of the war in Ukraine. In a sharply worded op-ed for the Detroit Free Press, Brink accused the administration of appeasing the Kremlin and failing to support Ukraine as it faces Russia’s full-scale invasion.

"I could no longer in good faith carry out the administration's policy and felt it was my duty to step down," wrote Brink, who had served in Kyiv since 2022. "I cannot stand by while a country is invaded, a democracy bombarded, and children killed with impunity. Peace at any price is not peace at all — it is appeasement."
Brink warned that "history has taught us time and again that appeasement does not lead to safety, security, or prosperity. It leads to more war and suffering."

Her op-ed warns that the US stance toward the war will shape global perceptions of American leadership. “How we handle Ukraine speaks volumes to our friends and foes alike,” she wrote. Calling Russia’s war the "most systematic, widespread and horrifying aggression in Europe since World War II," Brink urged stronger action to confront the Kremlin’s aggression.

Julie S. Davis, the newly appointed US Chargé d'Affaires to Ukraine, arrived in Kyiv on May 5, the US Embassy confirmed.