Acting U.S. Ambassador Julie Davis Resigns Amid Policy Shifts in Kyiv

Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Julie Davis will leave her post in June, according to U.S. officials speaking to CBS News. She has held the position for nearly a year amid shifts in American policy towards Ukraine.

The Financial Times reported that Davis is resigning due to “differences” with President Trump. However, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott denied this, stating that Davis is retiring after 30 years as a career foreign service officer and will continue advancing President Trump’s policies until her official departure from Kyiv in June 2026.

A senior U.S. official close to Davis told CBS News that she decided to resign because she did not see a path forward in the State Department consistent with her professional ambitions, refuting reports of disagreements with Trump as “inaccurate.”

Davis took over as interim chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on May 5, 2025, following Bridget Brink’s resignation. Brink had written an op-ed stating she could no longer carry out the administration’s policy and felt it was her duty to step down.

While serving as chargé d’affaires, Davis remained accredited as U.S. ambassador to Cyprus, managing her interim wartime posting alongside previous diplomatic duties.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Poland Daniel Fried praised Davis for being devoted to U.S. interests and values, the Free World, and Ukraine’s role within it.

Davis managed the embassy in Kyiv through fluctuating U.S. policy on Ukraine, with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner often leading diplomatic efforts instead of career diplomats. In November, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll was set to host Davis at her residence during his first visit to Kyiv, but the administration pressed Ukraine to accept a peace proposal from Witkoff and Russian negotiators, which fell through after Moscow refused.

In February, American officials mediated two trilateral summits with Ukrainian and Russian negotiators, considered the most productive diplomatic sessions of the war by Ukrainian officials. However, diplomacy has stalled amid the U.S.’ ongoing conflict with Iran. The last meeting between American and Ukrainian negotiators took place on March 22.