Ukraine’s recent US ambassador has released an opinion column explaining her decision to resign from her post, criticizing President Donald Trump for siding with Russia over Ukraine.
On Friday, former diplomat Bridget Brink published an article in the Detroit Free Press, a newspaper in his home state in Michigan, expressing concern about current US foreign policy.
The United States has long been an ally of Ukraine and since 2014 has provided military aid to war-torn countries to dodge Russian attempts to invade and annex them.
But Brink writes that there have been changes since President Trump took office in January.
“I respect the president’s right and responsibility to decide on US foreign policy,” she wrote.
“Unfortunately, the policy since the start of the Trump administration has been to put pressure on the victims Ukraine, not the invaders.”
Brink noted that her time at the US State Department included roles under five presidents, both Democrats and Republicans. However, she said changes under the Trump administration forced her to abandon her ambassador to Ukraine.
“I can’t wait while the country is invaded, democracy is fired and children are killed in immunity,” she said of the situation in Ukraine.
“I think the only way to secure our profits is to stand up to democracy and stand up to dictators. Peace is not at all peaceful at all at any price – it’s temperament.”
Brink’s position as ambassador spans many of the current conflicts in Ukraine. After annexing Crimea and occupying other Ukrainian territory beginning in 2014, Russia began a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. Brink took on her post in May.
But the slow war in Ukraine took thousands of lives and even more. During the 2024 reelection campaign, Trump condemned his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, the eruption of war on “weak” foreign policy.
He also promised to end the war on the first day of his first day, if re-elected. “I’ll finish it in 24 hours. I’ll finish it,” Trump told one CNN Town Hall in 2023.
However, since taking office, Trump has returned those comments, calling them “exaggeration” in an interview with Time Magazine.
Still, his administration urged Ukraine and Russia to engage in peace negotiations as part of an effort to end the war. But how these negotiations unfolded under Trump was a source of scrutiny and debate.
Ukraine and its European allies have accused Trump of onslaughting their interest in supporting a one-on-one negotiation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They also criticize Trump and his officials who appear to be offering Russian concessions even before negotiations officially begin.
On February 12, his defense secretary Pete Hegses told the Brussels international defense group that Ukraine might never reclaim some of the occupied territory.
“We must recognize that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 boundary is an unrealistic purpose,” he said, adding that membership in the NATO Military Alliance is also unlikely. “Tracing this fantastic goal only prolongs the war and causes more suffering.”
Trump has done something to blame Ukraine’s NATO ambitions as the cause of the war.
During the negotiations, Trump and Ukrainian President Voldimia Zelenkie are becoming increasingly familiar with the relationship. Already during his first term, Trump faced the perpetual proceedings over alleged attempts to put pressure on Zelensky by withholding military aid.
However, during his second term, Trump lifted Antee and called the Ukrainian president a “dictator” to avoid elections. This is prohibited under Ukraine’s wartime law.
One of the public displays of frustration at the White House on February 28th came when Trump called him “disrespectful” during a gathering with journalists and yelled at Zelensky.
The US President also used this look to protect his warm relations with the Russian president. “Putin went through a lot of hell with me,” Trump told Zelensky.
The screaming match led to a brief halt of US aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
Since then, both of their countries have agreed to a deal to establish a co-investment fund that allows Washington to access Ukraine’s mineral resources.
The US President has expressed concern about how much more than $174 billion has been invested in Ukraine’s security since the war began in 2022.
However, peace between Russia and Ukraine remains elusive. Meetings between the two fighting parties on Friday ended in less than two hours, but each agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners.
In her manipulation column, Brink revealed that she holds Russia responsible for the ongoing attack.
“Since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, it has done something that can only be described as pure evil.
She added that Europe has not experienced “very systematic and extremely frightening violence in Europe since World War II.”
Brink warned that if the US does not stand up to Russia, a domino effect could occur and pave the way for military attacks on other countries.
“If Putin allows him to forcefully redraw the boundaries, he will not stop in Ukraine,” she wrote. “In his words, Putin’s ambition is to revive the Imperial past.