Nicosia, Cyprus. Julie Davis, the US ambassador to Cyprus who also serves as acting ambassador in Kyiv, is leaving the State Department, the Financial Times reported. The newspaper said Davis is disillusioned with President Donald Trump’s declining support for Ukraine.
Financial Times report on reasons for departure
Davis, a career diplomat with 30 years of State Department service, is the latest senior official to exit over disagreements on Ukraine policy, according to the Financial Times. Her predecessor in Kyiv, Bridget Brink, left diplomatic service for similar reasons in April last year.
The report said Davis’s decision centres on her belief that Trump is failing to adequately support Ukraine. It also said Davis was surprised last October when she learned through media reports that Trump had nominated John Breslow, an Arizona businessman and Republican donor, as the next US ambassador to Cyprus, and that she had not been informed of the nomination in advance.
State Department response
The State Department denied that policy differences were behind Davis’s departure. Spokesperson Tommy Pigott called the suggestion “false,” saying Davis had been “a steadfast proponent of the Trump administration’s efforts to bring about a durable peace between Russia and Ukraine” and would continue in her role until she officially departs Kyiv in June 2026 and retires from the department.
Davis’s diplomatic career
Before her posting to Cyprus, Davis served as Special Envoy for Belarus, based in Vilnius, Lithuania. In 2020 she was confirmed as the first US ambassador to Belarus since 2008.
Her career also includes postings to Georgia, Ukraine, and Russia, as well as senior roles including Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Europe and the EU, and Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO.
Turnover at the US embassy in Kyiv
The US embassy in Kyiv has struggled to retain ambassadors across both of Trump’s terms. In 2019, Trump recalled then-ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, calling her “disloyal” and “bad news,” and she later became a key witness in Congressional impeachment hearings.
Brink’s resignation and subsequent political campaign
Brink, who had advocated for military aid to Ukraine, said when she resigned last year that she had opposed White House pressure on Kyiv while the administration absolved Moscow of responsibility.
The report said Brink’s breaking point came when Trump verbally attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office in February 2025, after which Trump halted military aid and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv for several weeks. Brink is now running for Congress as a Democrat in a competitive Michigan district, accusing Trump of corruption and appeasing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Foreign policy decision-making and stalled talks
During Trump’s second term, the White House has largely sidelined the State Department on foreign policy, deploying a small circle of allies — including special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner — to pursue major objectives including brokering an end to the war in Ukraine.
Peace talks have since stalled amid Russian intransigence and the US-Iran conflict. Ukrainian intelligence officials told the Financial Times this month that Moscow is planning a new offensive this summer.
What impact do you think further diplomatic departures could have on US policy toward Ukraine?