A top official in President Joe Biden's State Department, who was a chief assistant to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, is set to resign and exit from the administration.
Dr. Karen Donfried, who served as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, will be leaving that role at the end of the month, the Daily Caller reported.
Aside from spending more time with her family, it is unknown what Donfried will do next, and the Biden White House has not yet announced who her successor will be.
In a tweet posted Monday morning, Sec. Blinken wrote, "I express my deep gratitude to my friend and colleague Karen Donfried as she departs the @StateDept."
"She led the EUR Bureau with utmost distinction during a time of crisis, managing our relationships with our European allies with extraordinary skill. She'll be missed by all," he added.
In a more fulsome press release from the State Department, Blinken said of Donfried, "For the last 18 months, Dr. Karen Donfried has led the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs with the utmost skill and commitment during a pivotal time. As she prepares to depart the Department at the end of the month, I thank Karen for her tremendous service to the Department and the American people."
"Karen has deftly managed our relationships with many of our most important allies and partners at a time when Kremlin aggression threatened decades of peace and prosperity," he continued. "Her policy acumen, integrity, and drive defined her leadership as Assistant Secretary and represent the highest values of public service."
"An exceptional leader, Karen has nurtured and empowered her team, positioning the Bureau and, in turn, the Department to pursue most effectively the interests and defend the values we share with our European allies," Blinken said.
The secretary added, "On behalf of the Department, I thank Karen for her distinguished service and wish her well in her next endeavors."
Reuters reported that Dr. Donfried first joined the Biden State Department in Sept. 2021 and has served as the top U.S. diplomat to Europe over that span of time.
Per a department spokesperson, Donfried had previously planned to resign by the end of March in order to "focus on her family," and it was acknowledged that no successor has been chosen yet to take her place in the vital diplomatic role.
The outlet noted that she has been one of Sec. Blinken's "key aides" who has made frequent trips to Europe to both confront Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and other issues while also reassuring European allies and bolstering the common defense against Russian aggression.
Donfried is a longtime State Department veteran who first served on the department's policy planning team under former President George W. Bush and then served under former President Barack Obama as the senior director for Europe within the National Security Council.
She apparently left the federal government during former President Donald Trump's tenure in office and instead served as the first female president of the German Marshall Fund prior to rejoining the State Department after President Biden took office.
