World·Breaking
Kim Darroch, the U.K. ambassador to the United States, has announced he’s resigning, after diplomatic cables critical of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump were leaked.
‘The current situation is making it impossible for me to carry out my role,’ Kim Darroch says
Thomson Reuters ·
Kim Darroch, the U.K. ambassador to the United States, has announced he’s resigning, after diplomatic cables critical of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump were leaked.
“Since the leak of official documents from this embassy, there has been a great deal of speculation surrounding my position and the duration of my remaining term as ambassador,” Darroch said in his resignation letter released by the Foreign Office. “I want to put an end to that speculation. The current situation is making it impossible for me to carry out my role as I would like.
“Although my posting is not due to end until the end of this year, I believe in the current circumstances, the responsible course is to allow the appointment of a new ambassador.”
In one of the memos leaked Sunday, Darroch described the U.S. administration as “diplomatically clumsy and inept,” and said he doubted it would become “substantially more normal.” In response, Trump went to Twitter to label him “stupid” and “wacky.”
Prime Minister Theresa May, who had given Darroch her full support, told Parliament after the resignation was announced that she had spoken to Darroch, who was due to leave his post anyway at the end of the year.
“I have told him it is a matter of great regret that he has felt it necessary to leave his position as ambassador to Washington,” she said.
Darroch said he is “grateful to all those in the U.K. and the U.S. who have offered their support during these difficult few days. This has brought home to me the depth of friendship and close ties between our two countries. I have been deeply touched.
“I am also grateful to all those with whom I have worked over the last four decades, particularly my team here in the U.S. The professionalism and integrity of the British civil service is the envy of the world. I will leave it full of confidence that its values remain in safe hands.”
With files from The Associated Press
