Biden selects Bridget Brink as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine

President Biden plans to nominate veteran diplomat Bridget Brink to serve as the United States ambassador to Ukraine, the White House announced Monday.

Her nomination requires Senate approval, and if confirmed, Brink, the current U.S. ambassador to Slovakia, would take over as the top American diplomat in Ukraine as the nation continues to defend itself from Russia's invasion. A career foreign service officer, Brink has had assignments in Uzbekistan, Georgia, Cyprus and Serbia, and served as the deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. She also worked for the White House National Security Council.

The White House's formal announcement of Brink as Mr. Biden's pick for U.S. ambassador to Ukraine came after Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The two are the highest-ranking U.S. officials to visit Ukraine's capital city since Russia invaded the country in late February. During the visit, Blinken told Zelenskyy of Mr. Biden's selection of Brink as ambassador.