Policy

US Ambassador Brink leaves Ukraine not only because of Trump, but also because of Zelensky – FT

Bridget Brink, the United States Ambassador to Ukraine, is leaving her post due to disagreements with the administration of President Donald Trump, as well as deteriorating relations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This was reported by the Financial Times, citing sources familiar with her decision, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.

Her resignation also comes amid a deterioration in her working relationship with President Zelenskyy, the newspaper claims, although, according to sources, this was not the main reason for her resignation.

According to people with knowledge of Brink’s decision to resign, she came under increasing pressure from senior Trump administration officials who questioned her willingness to support their strategy on Ukraine.

Trump’s policy on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has undone much of Biden’s work, who supported Kyiv with billions of dollars in military and financial aid and imposed sanctions on Moscow.

Trump insists on a quick end to the war and seeks to normalize US relations with Russia through direct talks with its president, Vladimir Putin. He also called Zelenskyy a “dictator.”

But the White House and the State Department did not comment on questions about policy differences between the Trump administration and Brink. A State Department spokesperson said:

“Ambassador Brink is leaving her post. She has been there for three years, which is a long time in a war zone.”

Tensions with Zelenskyy

Tensions between Brink and Zelensky have become apparent recently. Last week, the President of Ukraine released a statement criticizing her after a Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih that killed 20 people, including 9 children.

After the attack, Brink wrote on the social network X:

“Shocked to hear that a ballistic missile hit near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih tonight. More than 50 people wounded and 16 dead, including 6 children. That is why the war must end.”

Zelenskyy drew attention to the lack of direct blame for the attack in Brink’s statements and wrote on Telegram:

“Unfortunately, the reaction of the US Embassy is unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such a strong people – and such a weak reaction. Also, they are afraid to say the word ‘Russian’ when talking about the missile that killed the children.”

In her latest post on the social network X on Wednesday, Brink made it clear who was responsible for the attack:

“Today, I expressed my condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed… by a Russian cluster missile attack in Kryvyi Rih on April 4.”

– she wrote.

The publication also notes that Ukrainian officials considered Brink to be too critical of them, especially with regard to the country’s efforts to root out corruption.

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Brink tried to change her color

Ukraine also noticed a noticeable shift in Brink’s rhetoric recently, which they saw as more in line with Trump’s position and increasingly critical of Ukraine.

After the conflict between Trump and Zelenskiy at the White House in February, Brink used social media to support the US president.

A Financial Times analysis of Brink’s posts on social network X before and after Trump took office on January 20 revealed a clear shift in her public statements, especially regarding Russia.

In the 75 days before Trump’s inauguration, she was critical of Russia and the war in Ukraine 53 times. In the 75 days after, she published only 5 posts mentioning Russia, none of which blamed the country for its attacks.

Bridget Brink’s career path

Brink was born in 1970 in Michigan. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Kenyon College and two master’s degrees in international relations and political theory from the London School of Economics.

Brink is a career diplomat who began her career at the State Department in 1996. She served in diplomatic missions to Serbia and Georgia. During his first term, Trump appointed her as US Ambassador to Slovakia. Later, Joe Biden appointed her ambassador to Ukraine.

Western diplomats in Kyiv describe her as a “strong personality” and a “serious diplomat” and note that Brink has been a key advocate for Kyiv’s interests both publicly and privately since the initial weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

She is fluent in Russian, Serbian, Georgian and French.

In addition to English, he speaks Russian, Serbian, Georgian and French.

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