New US chargé d'affaires begins work in Ukraine

Diplomat Paul Houston took up his duties as US chargé d'affaires in Ukraine on 23 August.

Source: US Embassy in Ukraine on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Houston noted that he began his mission in Kyiv by attending the National Prayer Breakfast, marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.

"Religious freedom is one of America's founding freedoms. It's also a real and necessary foundation for peace. As we celebrate 250 years of American independence this year, it was an honour to begin my assignment in Kyiv by celebrating religious freedom at Ukraine's National Prayer Breakfast, coinciding with the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence," the US Embassy tweeted.

"I look forward to working to advance freedom and peace as the long-term Chargé d'Affaires at US Embassy Kyiv," Houston said.

According to the embassy's press service, Paul Houston is a senior career diplomat with the rank of Minister Counselor. Prior to being assigned to Kyiv, he served as US chargé d'affaires in Niamey, Niger. Before that, he served as acting principal deputy assistant secretary and deputy assistant secretary for threat investigations and analysis at the US State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

He has also held senior positions at US diplomatic missions in Germany, Jordan, Haiti and Serbia and at the US Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.

Houston's predecessor, Sandra Oudkirk, only became US chargé d'affaires in Ukraine on 17 July.

At the end of June, it was reported that the previous US chargé d'affaires in Ukraine, Julie Davis, was stepping down, reportedly due to differences with the Trump administration.

Davis's predecessor, former US ambassador Bridget Brink, stepped down in April 2025. She later explicitly stated that she decided to leave because of the Trump administration's foreign policy.

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