Muhammad Mussa
10 July 2019•Update: 11 July 2019
LONDON
British ambassador to the U.S. Sir Kim Darroch resigned on Wednesday amid a war of words between Washington and London after a leak on his views on President Donald Trump.
Darroch said the situation over the leaked messages was "making it impossible for me to carry out my role as I would like".
"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," he said in a letter to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
“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,” Darroch added.
Sir Simon McDonald, permanent undersecretary of the foreign office who accepted Darroch’s resignation, praised the former ambassador for professionalism and class in representing the U.K. and its interests in the U.S. He reiterated the government’s support for Darroch in the crisis and reminded him that the prime minister stands by him.
“The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and whole of the public service have stood with you: you were the target of a malicious leak; you were simply doing your job,” McDonald said.
In the leaked memos Darroch described Trump as "incompetent", "inept" and "insecure".
Trump has reacted on Twitter and attacked both the ambassador and Prime Minister Theresa May.
Trump on Monday threatened to "no longer deal" with Darroch after the Daily Mail published sensitive memos he sent to his superiors in London in which the diplomat described Trump as "inept," "insecure" and "incompetent."
The British government confirmed the memos' authenticity and has opened an investigation into the source behind the leak.
Among the bombshell comments, Darroch says Trump could be indebted to "dodgy Russians," and warns "we could be at the beginning of a downward spiral... that leads to disgrace and downfall."
"We don't really believe this Administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept," Darroch wrote.
