State Department Briefing: Ambassador Confirmations, the Ukraine Reconstruction Fund and a New Chargé in Kyiv

Name: "State Department Briefing: Ambassador Confirmations, the Ukraine Reconstruction Fund and a New Chargé in Kyiv"
Uploaded: 2025-05-01
Duration: 41 min 51 s
Description: "Spokesperson Tammy Bruce opens the May 1, 2025 briefing by noting more foreign-policy confirmations in the first 100 days than in any of the last four administrations, the signing of the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, and Ambassador Julie Davis's selection as chargé d'affaires in Kyiv, according to the U.S. Department of State."

May 1, 2025 · U.S. Department of State · 0:41:51

Embedded from the source channel — never re-uploaded. Watch on YouTube

What happened

Spokesperson Tammy Bruce opened the May 1, 2025 department briefing with an announcement tied to President Trump’s first 100 days, according to the Department of State’s recording. Bruce said the President had nominated, and the Senate had confirmed, more key foreign policy leadership positions in his first hundred days than during the same period of any of the last four administrations, as she stated the comparison. She noted that Tilman Fertitta had been confirmed as ambassador to Italy and San Marino, and that Secretary Rubio had sworn in Warren Stephens as ambassador to the United Kingdom, Thomas Barrack as ambassador to Türkiye, and David Perdue as ambassador to China the previous day, as she listed the confirmations.

Bruce also announced that Treasury Secretary Bessent had signed a historic agreement establishing the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, which she described as an economic partnership to attract private-sector investment, create jobs, develop secure supply chains and drive growth as a foundation for Ukraine’s recovery from the war, as she presented the fund’s purpose.

She further announced that President Trump and Secretary Rubio had selected Ambassador Julie Davis to serve as chargé d’affaires in Kyiv during the move toward a peace agreement, noting Davis is a career Senior Foreign Service officer of Minister Counselor rank with 30 years of service who has served as ambassador to Cyprus since February 2023, as Bruce stated her credentials. The briefing then turned to reporters’ questions, opening with the 101st day of the administration, as the exchange recorded.

Why it matters

The briefing’s topper is a personnel-and-partnership package: a claimed confirmation record at the 100-day mark, the Ukraine minerals-and-reconstruction fund signed, and a career ambassador moved to Kyiv for the peace-negotiation phase.

Sources: U.S. Department of State, “Department of State Press Briefing - May 1, 2025”, 2025-05-01 (official upload, embedded above; published 2025-05-01). Transcript via Supadata (private research store, paraphrased and attributed, not republished). All figures and characterizations as stated by the speakers.