Late Wednesday, the Senate approved Bridget Brink as the United States ambassador to Ukraine, filling the position as officials prepare to return American diplomats to Kyiv as the country fights the Russian incursion.
President Joe Biden nominated the senior foreign service officer, who has spent much of her career under the shadow of the former Soviet Union, to the job last month. The Senate overwhelmingly approved her without a formal roll call vote.
When the fighting broke out three months ago, American diplomats were evacuated from Kyiv, but the embassy was reopened on Wednesday.
Since former President Donald Trump unceremoniously drove out Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch in 2019, the ambassadorship has been vacant. She later played a crucial role in Trump’s first impeachment process.
Brink is the ambassador to Slovakia at the moment.
