Western diplomats in Kyiv described Brink as an important defender of Ukraine.
Senior officials from the Trump administration put pressure on the diplomat, in particular, she was forced to change her rhetoric.
US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink resigned due to political differences with the administration of President Donald Trump. This was reported by the Financial Times, citing sources familiar with her decision.
The media noted that the ambassador was pressured by senior officials in the Trump administration, who questioned her willingness to support the new White House strategy towards Ukraine. Trump’s policy is significantly different from the course of the previous Biden administration.
“Western diplomats in Kyiv have described Brink as a key defender of Ukraine both publicly and privately since the early weeks of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. One described her as a “strong personality” and a “serious diplomat,” adding that pressure from both the Trump and Zelensky administrations had taken its toll on her,” the report said.
Ukrainian officials have seen the ambassador as overly critical of them, particularly regarding the country’s anti-corruption efforts.
Officials have pointed to a notable shift in her messaging recently, which has become more aligned with Trump’s position and increasingly critical of Ukraine.
A Financial Times analysis of Brink’s posts on social media X has found significant shifts in her rhetoric since Trump’s inauguration on January 20. Before the new president took office, she made 53 critical comments about Russia and the war in Ukraine in the 75 days following the inauguration. In the 75 days after that, she only published five posts mentioning Russia. In none of them did she blame Russia for the military actions.
