May 19 (UPI) — The Senate confirmed Bridget Brink late on Wednesday as President Joe Biden‘s U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, filing the diplomatic post for the first time in three years.
The chamber approved Brink’s appointment unanimously without a formal roll call vote.
Biden nominated Brink for the post last month. Brink has served previously as deputy assistant secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and at various embassy posts in Serbia, Georgia and Cyprus.
“To have an ambassador there at this critical time as the United States continues to help the Ukrainian people is a wonderful thing … and will help advance the cause of peace, security and freedom,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said according to Politico.
“I have every confidence she will be an outstanding ambassador.”
Brink, a veteran foreign service officer, takes on the difficult diplomatic task as Ukraine continues to be involved in a bloody war brought on by Russia. The fighting is now in its 12th week.
Brink will be the first ambassador to Ukraine since 2019, when former President Donald Trump removed ambassador Marie Yovanovitch from the position.
Brink told senators last month that she intended to work on reopening the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, which was evacuated in February at the start of the war.
