Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, stepped down from her position last month. She pointed to a White House policy that focused more on pressuring Ukraine than Russia in the ongoing war. Her resignation came after a meeting in the Oval Office where President Trump and Vice President Vance reportedly scolded Ukrainian President Zelenskyy for what they saw as a lack of respect.
Brink described the Trump administration’s strategy as appeasement, saying that such an approach has historically made conflicts worse, not better. Brink’s resignation comes as President Trump gets ready for separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Zelenskyy, hoping to arrange a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.
According to Politico, Brink told CBS, “I resigned from Ukraine and also from the Foreign Service, because the policy since the beginning of the administration was to put pressure on the victim Ukraine, rather than on the aggressor, Russia. I fully agree that the war needs to end, but I believe that peace at any price is not peace at all. It’s appeasement and, as we know from history, appeasement only leads to more war.”
The US Ambassador to Ukraine does not agree with Trump’s interpretation of things
Trump’s plan relies on using his personal connection with Putin to break the deadlock. His representative, Steve Witkoff, said he was hopeful that the calls could help end the conflict. However, Brink’s description of the Oval Office meeting paints a different picture of the administration’s tactics.
Brink said the meeting turned into a heated exchange, with Trump and Vance accusing Zelenskyy of not being grateful enough before sending him away. To Brink, this showed that the Trump administration was more focused on pressuring Ukraine, the victim, rather than Russia, the aggressor.
Brink said, “It has to be a peace that does things that advance our own interests, and those are really simple. It’s how to keep Ukraine free, how to deter Russia, and how to send the right signal to China. And this is what we should be doing.”
The different strategies for achieving peace are clear in contrasting statements. While Trump wants to stop what he calls the “bloodbath” and may use trade deals to reach an agreement, Brink insists that “peace at any price is not peace at all.”
Trump’s calls follow recent talks in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian officials. While these discussions led to an agreement to swap 1,000 prisoners of war from each side, they did not result in a ceasefire. President Putin also turned down a suggestion from President Zelenskyy to meet in person in Turkey to discuss a 30-day pause in fighting.
Russia recently carried out its biggest drone attack since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, hitting Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk. This attack highlights the urgent need for a ceasefire. These calls also follow talks in Rome between Zelenskyy and Trump’s vice president and secretary of state, where Zelenskyy stressed the importance of tougher sanctions against Russia.
Published: May 19, 2025 03:09 pm