The acting US ambassador to Ukraine, Julie Davis, will retire from her post after less than a year, the State Department has announced. The move comes amid a lull in US-brokered ceasefire efforts to end Russia's invasion.
Reports from the Financial Times, citing unnamed sources, suggested Davis had grown frustrated with President Donald Trump over his lack of support for Ukraine. However, the State Department denied any such disagreements, stating she was retiring.
Trump has been pressuring Kyiv to reach a peace deal with Russia, suggesting Ukraine could cede territory to secure an agreement. Peace talks have largely stalled as Washington focuses on the war in Iran.
“It is false to suggest Ambassador Davis is resigning ‘over differences with Donald Trump,’” said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott. “She will continue to proudly advance President Trump’s policies until she officially departs Kyiv in June 2026 and retires from the department.”
Davis, who also serves as the US ambassador to Cyprus, has been the chargé d’affaires in Kyiv since May 2025, appointed by the Trump administration after Bridget Brink stepped down. Brink, who was appointed by Joe Biden, criticised Trump’s “appeasement” of Russia.
