President Joe Biden has nominated a Kenyon College graduate to be the United States ambassador to Ukraine, which is currently embattled in war with Russia.
“Kenyon is proud that such an accomplished alumna has been selected for this critical diplomatic position,” Kenyon College Professor of Political Science David Rowe told The Ohio Star Monday. “Bridget Brink is being sent to one of the United States’ most important postings. How the Ukraine war is resolved will affect the fate of security and democracy in Europe and more broadly for a generation or more. We wish her all the best in what will likely be the challenge of a lifetime.”
She also obtained master’s degrees in international relations and political theory from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Brink currently serves as the United States ambassador to the Slovak Republic, a position to which she was nominated in 2019 by former President Donald Trump.
Previously, Brink served as deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, and deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassies in Uzbekistan and Georgia, according to The New York Post.Â
Meanwhile, the State Department released a Monday statement reaffirming its strong support for Ukraine.
“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visited Kyiv, Ukraine, yesterday to demonstrate the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in their struggle against Russian aggression,” that statement said.
The American diplomats said they visited with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, among others.
“They discussed America’s stalwart support for the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian people, including through our significant assistance to Ukraine’s security, governance, economic, and humanitarian needs,” according to the statement. “Secretary Blinken also voiced renewed support for Ukraine’s efforts to end the Russian aggression through diplomacy and dialogue, noting that our continued support will strengthen Ukraine’s hand on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.”
It was during that meeting that Blinken also revealed Brink’s appointment.
Blinken also told Zelenskyy that the Biden administration intends to provide Ukraine with $713 million in military aid as the United States continues to support the Eastern European nation in its ongoing conflict with Russia.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Bridget Brink” by U.S. Department of State. Photo “Joe Biden” by Adam Schultz. Background Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Andrew Van Huss. CC BY-SA 4.0.
