Victoria Spartz, a member of the House of Representatives of the US Congress from the Republican Party, who previously asked to "solve the problem” of the head of the Presidentʼs Office Andriy Yermak, explained her claims to Ukraine. They mainly relate to the mechanism of control over the American aid that Ukraine receives for the war with the Russian Federation.
She told about this in an interview with "Europeyska Pravda".
Spartz said that the Ukrainian side rejected her proposal regarding the aid control mechanism. She mentioned a system of supervision several times but did not say what it should be. She stated that she "met with almost every head of the administration and parliament" of Ukraine to make proposals, "but your side [Kyiv] did not agree to this".
"Itʼs important to me that what we deliver for you goes where it needs to go, and your military gets it [...]. I will not reveal the details, because if I say it, Russia will conduct such propaganda that you will have problems," Spartz noted, adding that both houses of Congress unanimously asked Ukraine about the mechanism of distribution of funds provided to Ukraine.
Spartz said that Ukraine has problems that the authorities do not want to solve. "I will tell you that there will be big problems in Ukraine if Ukraine cannot come to an agreement with us [the USA] now. Unless Congress feels we can trust you,” she added.
As for the head of the Presidentʼs Office Yermak Spartz said that his name came up in the context of the non-resolution of Ukrainian problems, in particular, regarding the non-appointment of a special anti-corruption prosecutor. Regarding this issue, Yermakʼs deputy Oleh Tatarov was mentioned in a negative way, as the one who possibly controls the members of the commission from the Verkhovna Rada, and who is accused of delaying the competition for the head of the SAP.
"We spend billions of dollars. Anti-corruption institutions were created in Ukraine, and we are concerned when we see that these institutions cannot work. I am told that it is because of Yermak and the people he appoints. I donʼt know if itʼs true, but President Biden, when he spends in Ukraine, has to account to Congress for it. If we donʼt have the ability to audit, if we donʼt know what happens to our security support, ie weapons, once they cross the border! And we do not know what is happening with it, because we do not have people in Ukraine. It [the weapon] may be in Syria, it may end up in Russia," the congresswoman explained.
Asked about Spartzʼs hints about Yermakʼs ties to Russia, she replied: "Everyone knows, but everyone [Western politicians] is talking [with Yermak]. Itʼs a question that everyone has, but no one wants to address it."
Separately, Spartz stated that Ukraine is not preparing for war, and its citizens live as if there is no war.
"You are not preparing for war. You even act like you donʼt have a war! You do not understand that you have the biggest war after the Second World War! And if you have a war, then every person in Ukraine, from small to large, must be a part of the war. But when you drive through your cities, when you see how your cities are preparing for attacks, you see that this is not happening in many places. You keep waiting for what the West will do. People are sitting in restaurants in Kyiv, as if you donʼt have war anymore because the war has gone to the East. If you have such a big war, all your industry, all your people have to work on it,” she said.
Spartz also complained that, according to her, "on the instructions of the Presidentʼs Office, local budgets were taken from the city," which could allegedly be used for local defense.
Journalists objected to her, noting that this is not true and that the defense of cities is handled by the Armed Forces, not local authorities. In response, Spartz said: "Anyway, everyone should help, make trenches. But itʼs your decision."
Spartz also criticized President Joe Biden, saying that he is not honest in front of Congress and that they did not see his strategy for Ukraine. Congress is "bipartisanly disappointed about this," she said.
When asked whether the open letter to Biden was her personal initiative and whether it was supported by a group of Republicans, Spartz did not give a clear answer.
"And I will honestly say that what is happening to you now is connected with the fact that you are not solving some problems. I can say nothing, we will continue to play these games, and give you 5-10 units of artillery that will not help you. But itʼs enough to play politics," said the congresswoman.
- On July 8, a member of the US House of Representatives, Victoria Spartz, wrote a letter to US President Joe Biden about the need to check the so-called "Russian connections" of the head of the Presidentʼs Office, Andriy Yermak. Then Spartz published a list of claims against Yermak. She also stated that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "must solve the problem" of Yermak and called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to take her statements seriously.
- The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko advised her to "stop trying to earn additional political capital on baseless speculations around the topic of war."
- The Ukrainian Congressional Committee of America and the co-chair of the Ukraine Support Group in the US Congress, Marcy Kaptur, condemned Spartz, saying that she recklessly plays along with Putin. Kaptur said that the United States Congress strongly supports President Zelenskyi and his leadership.
- On July 10, the spokesman of the President of Ukraine, Serhiy Nikiforov, stated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy had not received Spartzʼs appeals regarding the need to "solve the problem" of Yermak. He said Spartzʼ claims were "an American affair" for now.