Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink publicly confirmed on May 16 that she resigned due to President Donald Trump's administration's foreign policy direction, she wrote in a May 16 op-ed for the Detroit Free Press.
Brink, who held the role since 2022, accused the Trump administration of prioritizing pressure on Ukraine — the victim of Russia's full-scale invasion — rather than confronting the Kremlin.
"I just came home to Michigan from three years in the toughest job of my life," Brink wrote. "I could no longer in good faith carry out the administration's policy and felt it was my duty to step down."
The former ambassador added that remaining in her position would have made her complicit in a course of action she considers dangerous and immoral.
"I cannot stand by while a country is invaded, a democracy bombarded, and children killed with impunity," she wrote. "Peace at any price is not peace at all — it is appeasement."
Trump, who took office in January, pledged to end the war within 100 days — a deadline that has passed without a deal. He has alternated between blaming both sides for the conflict and claiming a breakthrough is still possible.
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."
She called Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine "the most systematic, widespread and horrifying aggression in Europe since World War II."
Brink criticized what she described as a broader erosion of American leadership, saying how the U.S. handles the war in Ukraine "will speak volumes to our friends as well as our foes."
In April, relations between the Ukrainian leadership and the embassy soured after the muted response to a Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih that killed 20 civilians.
"Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih," Brink posted on X following a Russian missile attack. "This is why the war must end."
Zelensky took issue with Brink's refusal to denounce Russia for the strike, which included an Iskander ballistic missile with cluster munition touching down on a playground.
"Unfortunately, the response from the U.S. Embassy is surprisingly disappointing — such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction," Zelensky tweeted in response on April 5.
Julie S. Davis, the new U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to Ukraine, arrived in Kyiv on May 5, the U.S. Embassy announced, following Brink's resignation.
Kyiv and its allies continue to call for an unconditional ceasefire, effective since May 12, but Moscow has ignored the proposal.
Despite Trump's repeated expressions of frustration with President Vladimir Putin, the White House has not imposed new sanctions or taken other steps to pressure Russia.
Kateryna Denisova
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