From: Maia Mikhaluk in Kyiv (1178th Day)
Bridget Brink, the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, recently resigned after three intense and painful years serving on the frontlines of democracy. In a deeply moving article in the Detroit Free Press, she explained why.
“I just came home to Michigan from three years in the toughest job of my life,” she writes, “supporting our democratic ally against brutal, unprovoked aggression by Russia.”
Having served five U.S. presidents — both Republican and Democrat — she emphasized her respect for America’s foreign policy process. But she could no longer execute a policy that, under the Trump administration, “put pressure on the victim, Ukraine, rather than on the aggressor, Russia.”
“I could no longer in good faith carry out the administration’s policy and felt it was my duty to step down.”
Brink lays out in heartbreaking clarity what she witnessed: “Russia has done what can only be described as pure evil: killed thousands of civilians, including 700 children, with missiles and drones that hit their homes and apartments in the dead of night… abducted 20,000 children… committed over 150,000 war crimes… and forced millions of men, women, and children to flee into Europe and elsewhere.”
She continues, “Over a career spent in conflict zones, I’ve seen mass atrocities and wanton destruction firsthand, but we have never seen violence so systematic, so widespread, and so horrifying in Europe since World War II.”
Her words are a reminder that this is not only Ukraine’s fight — it is a battle for the soul of the democratic world. “Peace at any price is not peace at all — it is appeasement,” she writes. “And history has taught us time and again that appeasement does not lead to safety, security or prosperity. It leads to more war and suffering.”
Why does Ukraine matter to the U.S.? Brink answers plainly: “If we allow Putin to redraw borders by force, he won’t stop with Ukraine. Taken at his word, Putin’s ambition is to resurrect an imperial past — and he can’t do that without threatening the security of our NATO allies. If Putin succeeds, it sends signals to China that will undermine the security balance in Asia and throughout the world.”
This is not abstract. As Brink points out, Europe is America’s largest trading partner, tied to 16 million jobs and a $1.6 trillion relationship. The peace and prosperity built in the wake of WWII is on the line — not just for Ukraine, but for all of us.
Her personal story makes it all the more powerful. “My grandfather proudly served in WWII, while my grandmother supported their child by renting out rooms in their home. They didn’t see each other for three years. But they understood doing what was right.”
And doing what is right, she says, means that “the America I love… would never stand by and let such horrors happen. Or give up helping our friends. Or appease the aggressor.”
Brink may no longer hold an official title, but her words echo with moral clarity: “I will never stop believing in the need for American leadership to secure our own future and offer the beacon of hope and possibility for every Michigander, every American, and so many others around the world.”
We’re grateful for her service and for speaking the truth. And we hope her courage challenges more people to speak out and stand up — before it’s too late.
Voice of Ukraine 