Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch knocked the State Department for lacking vision and undercutting diplomatic efforts.
Yovanovitch, who testified during President Trump’s impeachment, expressed concern for her former employer during a speech at Georgetown University on Wednesday, claiming, “Right now, the State Department is in trouble.”
“Senior leaders lack policy vision, moral clarity, and leadership skills,” she said. “The policy process has been replaced by decisions emanating from the top with little discussion. Vacancies at all levels go unfilled, and officers are increasingly wondering whether it is safe to express concerns about policy, even behind closed doors.”
During her impeachment hearing, Yovanovitch testified that she felt threatened by Trump and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani over her policy disagreements with the administration. She was later ousted by Trump and reassigned within the State Department but went on to leave the department in January.
“It’s not news that the State Department is being hollowed out from within at a competitive and complex time on the world stage,” Yovanovitch said. “This is no time to undercut our diplomats. With so many challenges, we need to double down on our diplomacy. Working off of facts is not the trademark of the deep state but the deeply committed state.”
Yovanovitch argued that more funding should be poured into diplomatic efforts, including funding for the United Nations’ World Health Organization as it combats the coronavirus outbreak.
“Our military colleagues warn consistently that the more we cut the international affairs budget, the higher the risk for longer and deadlier military operations,” she explained. “When another agency is seeking funding for your agency, you know there’s something going on.”
