- Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Julie Davis will resign in June amid reported disagreements with Trump over his softening stance toward Russia.
- The State Department insists the departure is a routine retirement, but Davis is the second top envoy to Kyiv to leave under Trump in over a year.
- Davis’s predecessor, Bridget Brink, resigned in 2025 and accused Trump of appeasing Russia by pressuring Ukraine.
- Trump’s peace plan has stalled, with proposals for territorial concessions and criticism of Zelensky stalling negotiations and sidelining career diplomats.
- Ukraine faces a lonely struggle as U.S. attention shifts to the Middle East and the embassy revolving door questions America’s commitment.
Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Julie Davis will leave her post in June, amid reports of deep disagreements with President Donald Trump over his softening stance toward Russia. The State Department insists the departure is a routine retirement, but the exit marks the second top envoy to Kyiv to step down under the Trump administration in just over a year. For a nation fighting for its survival, the revolving door at the embassy raises tough questions about America’s commitment.
Davis has served as chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv since May 2025, following the resignation of her predecessor, Bridget Brink. The Financial Times first reported that Davis was leaving due to “differences” with Trump over Ukraine policy. The State Department denied that claim. “It is false to suggest Ambassador Davis is resigning ‘over differences with Donald Trump,'” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement. “She will continue to proudly advance President Trump’s policies until she officially departs Kyiv in June 2026 and retires from the department.”
Brink, a career diplomat appointed by President Joe Biden, resigned in May 2025 and accused Trump of “appeasement” toward Russia. In an op-ed in the Detroit Free Press, Brink wrote that “the policy since the beginning of the Trump administration has been to put pressure on the victim, Ukraine, rather than on the aggressor, Russia.” Brink is now running as a Democrat for Congress in Michigan’s 7th District.
Davis has juggled a dual role as ambassador to Ukraine and ambassador to Cyprus since taking the Kyiv post. She “has been a steadfast proponent of the Trump administration’s efforts to bring about a durable peace between Russia and Ukraine,” Pigott said. But those efforts have stalled. Trump has suggested Ukraine may have to cede territory to secure a peace deal and hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August 2025, breaking the Western diplomatic boycott of Russia.
Trump’s peace plan stalls
Trump has pushed Kyiv to accept concessions that many in Ukraine and Europe see as capitulation to Moscow. He also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him “a dictator” for refusing to hold elections during wartime. U.S.-mediated negotiations have not resulted in breakthroughs.
A senior U.S. official close to Davis told CBS News that she decided to resign because she “did not see a path forward in the State Department consistent with her professional ambitions.” Reports of disagreements with Trump were “inaccurate,” the official said. Still, the timing is notable. Davis served during a period of “abrupt shifts in American policy on Ukraine,” according to U.S. officials.
The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than four years. The Trump administration has shifted its focus to conflicts in the Middle East, leaving Ukraine peace talks in limbo. The last meeting between American and Ukrainian negotiators took place on March 22. Meanwhile, Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have taken the lead in diplomatic efforts, sidelining career diplomats.
For Ukrainian officials, Davis’s departure signals continued uncertainty about U.S. support. The embassy in Kyiv has shepherded the diplomatic mission through a turbulent year. But with no peace deal in sight and Washington’s attention elsewhere, Ukraine faces a lonely struggle.
Sources for this article include:
RT.com
TheGuardian.com
CBSNews.com
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