Gen. Christopher Donahue, the head of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, has relinquished his post after 18 months in command. Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, publicly thanked Donahue for his support in building a partnership that delivered long-range systems and strengthened Ukraine's air defenses.
Donahue's departure comes at a fraught moment in U.S.-Ukraine relations, with the Trump administration having questioned the value of Kyiv's fight in the past. The American general who built the Army's support machinery for Ukraine is now out, and Syrskyi's public tribute shows Kyiv knows what it stands to lose.
The departure extends a shake-up that has removed or replaced at least a dozen senior military leaders since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took office. Donahue's exit has drawn criticism from retired military leaders and lawmakers across the aisle, with some fearing it foreshadows a U.S. drawdown from the continent.
