Latest news with #USForeignService
CBS News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Bridget Brink declares candidacy for Michigan's 7th Congressional District
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink of Lansing is running for Michigan's 7th Congressional District in the 2026 election cycle. The Lansing-area district is currently represented by Republican Tom Barrett of Charlotte. Brink, who is running as a Democrat, made her campaign announcement Wednesday. "We need principled leaders who have a proven record of standing up to Trump's policies, and fighting like hell for our democratic values," Brink said in her campaign materials. "We've got to take on the chaos and corruption coming out of Washington, because it's costing Michiganders." Brink grew up in the Grand Rapids area, and said several generations of her family have lived in the Eaton County area. She attended Michigan public schools, then earned her bachelor's degree at Kenyon College and two master's degrees at the London School of Economics. Brink was a career diplomat, with nearly 30 years in the U.S. Foreign Service under both Democratic and Republican presidents, before she decided to step down. The Senate confirmed her as ambassador to Ukraine shortly before Russia launched an invasion of that country in 2022, a decision that resulted in her becoming the first woman to serve as a U.S. ambassador in a war zone. That time of her career is highlighted in her campaign video and other materials. She stayed on in that role during the start of the current Trump administration, but left her post in April, citing policy differences with the White House. "I resigned from Ukraine and also from the Foreign Service, because the policy since the beginning of the administration was to put pressure on the victim, Ukraine, rather than on the aggressor, Russia. I fully agree that the war needs to end, but I believe that peace at any price is not peace at all," she said May 18 on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." Brink is married to Nicholas Higgins, a Foreign Service officer with twenty-five years of service. The couple has two sons.
See - Sada Elbalad
07-03-2025
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
Trump to Shut Down US Diplomatic Missions in Europe
The Trump administration is preparing to close several US consulates, primarily in Western Europe, as part of a broader initiative to reduce the global diplomatic workforce, according to American officials. The State Department is also considering consolidating multiple specialized offices in Washington, focusing on areas such as human rights, refugee affairs, global criminal justice, women's issues, and efforts to combat human trafficking. In recent weeks, US diplomatic missions worldwide were instructed to evaluate staff reductions of at least 10 percent for both American and local employees. This directive aligns with an aggressive cost-cutting strategy led by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, aimed at reducing the federal workforce across multiple sectors. The administration is pushing for a comprehensive overhaul of the US Foreign Service to ensure complete adherence to its foreign policy objectives. Recent executive orders have reinforced this approach, restructuring the diplomatic corps to align with the government's strategic priorities. The proposed reductions in diplomatic presence, combined with potential cuts to the US Agency for International Development, are raising concerns about diminishing American influence abroad. Analysts warn that scaling back diplomatic efforts and international aid could create geopolitical vacuums, potentially allowing rivals such as China and Russia to expand their influence in critical regions. Currently, the US State Department operates more than 270 diplomatic missions worldwide, with a workforce of approximately 70,000 employees. The planned closures and restructuring efforts represent one of the most significant shifts in American diplomatic strategy in recent history.
