Bridget Brink.Photo: Aziz Karimov/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty
The Senate has unanimously confirmed a new U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, with Bridget Brink’s Wednesday confirmation coming the same day the U.S. reopened its embassy in Kyiv.
In April, PresidentJoe Bidenannounced his intent to nominate the veteran diplomat for the role at a time when the European country is in crisisamid the Russian invasion.
Yovanovitch made national headlines when she later testified at Trump’s first impeachment trial on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in connectionwith his Ukraine scandal.
The U.S. also announced this week it had reopened the American embassy in Kyiv, which had closed afterRussian forcesinvaded the region in late February.
American diplomats have been working mostly in Poland since the war in Ukraine began until Wednesday, when the American flag was once again raised over the embassy.
“Today we are officially resuming operations at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv,” Sec. of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. “The Ukrainian people, with our security assistance, have defended their homeland in the face of Russia’s unconscionable invasion, and, as a result, the Stars and Stripes are flying over the Embassy once again. We stand proudly with, and continue to support, the government and people of Ukraine as they defend their country from the Kremlin’s brutal war of aggression.”
Blinken added that the department had “put forward additional measures to increase the safety of our colleagues who are returning to Kyiv and have enhanced our security measures and protocols.”
Still, he acknowledged, “The war rages on.”
“Russia’s forces inflict death and destruction on Ukrainian soil every day,” Blinken said in the statement. “Millions of Ukrainians are displaced from their homes and mourn the loss of their loved ones. With strength of purpose, we reaffirm our commitment to the people and government of Ukraine, and we look forward to carrying out our mission from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.”
The invasion has so far displaced millions and killed or wounded thousands of civilians after Russia’s forces launched their large-scale invasion on Feb. 24, marking the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.
More than 5 million have fled the country as refugees — and half are children,according to the United Nations.
Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country. Zelenskyy vowed not to bend.
“Nobody is going to break us, we’re strong, we’re Ukrainians,“he told the European Unionin a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, “Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness.”
source: people.com
