US State Department confirms ambassador to Ukraine to resign

US ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink is stepping down from her post, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a briefing, Report informs.

"She's returning home. Yes," she said.

"Ambassador Brink's been ambassador at the embassy in Ukraine for three years during a time of war for those three years, an extraordinary performance there, and we wish her well."

Earlier, Reuters noted citing sources that Brink intended to resign at her own request and leave the diplomatic service in the coming weeks. CBS noted that Brink submitted her resignation back in January during the change of administrations, but US Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially rejected it, hoping to keep her as head of the American diplomatic mission in Kyiv.

Reuters said that at the moment it is not known who can take over from Brink, although Christopher Smith, deputy assistant secretary for Eastern Europe and Policy and Regional Affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department may be nominated.

Brink's candidacy for the post of US Ambassador to Ukraine was put forward in April 2022 by former United States President Joe Biden. In May, the candidacy was approved by the US Senate and Brink arrived in Kyiv.

The post of head of the US diplomatic mission in Kyiv had remained vacant since May 2019, when the previous ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch, was recalled to Washington at the request of President Donald Trump, who accused her of disloyalty. Prior to Brink's appointment, Kristina Kvien was the charge d'affaires of the United States in Ukraine.