U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink expected to step down amid diplomatic tensions

Reuters reported the information, citing sources.

According to the news agency, Brink’s decision would be voluntary, and while she has not formally submitted her resignation, multiple sources familiar with the matter say her departure appears likely. Appointed by President Joe Biden in 2022, Brink has been a central figure in managing the U.S.-Ukraine relationship during a period of intense geopolitical tension following Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Her exit would make her one of the highest-ranking career diplomats to leave the State Department in recent years, and comes as U.S. efforts to broker limited ceasefire deals between Ukraine and Russia have stalled. It is not yet clear who would succeed her, but officials say Chris Smith, a seasoned diplomat with past experience in Kyiv, is being considered for the role.

Brink recently faced criticism in Ukraine over her response to a deadly Russian missile strike in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown, Kryvyi Rih, which killed 20 people, including nine children. Ukrainian officials expressed disappointment that her public statement did not directly name Russia as the perpetrator. However, sources indicate that the incident is not connected to her possible resignation.

If Brink steps down, her departure would come at a delicate time — with the Trump administration pursuing new diplomatic approaches to the war, and Ukraine relying heavily on U.S. support both militarily and politically.

A representative of the U.S. State Department confirmed the information about Brink's resignation in a comment to the Ukrainian Suspilne media.

“She has been ambassador to Ukraine for three years, which is a long time in a war zone,” the unnamed State Department official said. 

• On April 4, the occupying Russian army attacked Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, with ballistic missile, killing 19 civilians, including nine children.