U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink is stepping down from the role she held for nearly three years, according to the State Department.

The announcement comes just days after she received rare public criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, over her wording in a public statement about a Russian attack on his hometown. It's unclear what impact the criticism had on Brink's exit.

“Ambassador Brink is stepping down. She’s been the ambassador there for three years — that’s a long time in a war zone. And frankly, the war has gone on for far too long,” a State Department spokesperson told The Hill.

“The real issue is whether the Russians and Ukrainians are ready to do what’s necessary to end this war.”

Brink has served as the country’s ambassador in Kyiv since May 2022, a few months after Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine.

Brink joined the State Department in 1996. A former U.S. ambassador to........

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