Rep. Spartz puts at risk US bipartisan support to Ukraine by questioning Zelensky’s closest ally
In November 2020, the people of Ukraine celebrated the election of Victoria Spartz to the US Congress, expecting that a Ukraine-origin politician would strengthen the bilateral relations, which were hardly damaged by the first Trump impeachment.
In July 2022, months before the first midterm, Congresswoman Spartz sent a letter to US President Joe Biden, asking him to brief US lawmakers on oversight procedures on Ukraine's President Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak. She claimed that the Biden Administration did not speed up the allocation of aid to Ukraine, and at the same time asked him to brief Congress on Zelensky's top advisor as the war raged on. These two ideas are seen as cognitive dissonance in Ukraine.
Putin's war of choice made more than 12 million people leave their homes and find shelters. I can imagine citizens of my hometown Mykolaiv or temporarily occupied Kherson seeing such news by the sound of aid sirens and acknowledging how "timely" it has been. Lend-lease has not started yet, and russia, who just occupied the whole Luhansk region in the east, still did not step down in Kherson in the south, thus threatening Ukraine by launching missiles.
In that regard, the appearance of such allegations does not only play against Ukraine but jeopardizes the whole system of US aid to Ukraine, both military and financial. It only favors russia, and not the people of Ukraine and the armed forces that need to counterattack in the east and in the south to wipe out russians from Ukraine's land.
Currently, Ukraine authorities truly understand that if they do not ensure the proper use of allocated aid, the West will just not send the new package. Moreover, it is also not just a matter of their political survival, but personal too. Zelensky was the clear number one target for russia, all of Zelensky's team owed him their jobs, not to mention that his life was at stake as president, and also as a political leader, whom the war helped unite the people of Ukraine.
The problem with Congresswoman Spartz's allegations is that they came at the wrong time. While Ukraine's losses are up to 100 soldiers per day, she pointed out some issues that people are aware of. But the war puts everyone in a different position. Politics is on hold in Ukraine in general, perhaps with a few exceptions, but many votes in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine are supported by almost all factions in the parliament amid the full-scale war.
At the same time, some allegations, like "mismanaging failed peace negotiations with russia before the war", doubt the question of who started the war at all. Or "sabotaging Kherson and giving it to russians to set up the "Azov" battalion tragedy shows that Ms Spartz does not understand completely what she is writing about, as "Azov" fought in Eastern Ukraine, particularly in Mariupol, and Kherson is in the south.
This part is the most dangerous. Victoria Spartz is not just a Republican, she is the only current member of the House who was born in Ukraine. Her voice is essential in Ukraine's matters. But it is very likely that her colleagues may use these narratives without context and background knowledge as a justification not to increase the aid, which Ukraine will need very soon, as the war turns to be long-standing. Luckily, this came after Congress had already approved the unprecedented amount of aid, but other partners of Ukraine will definitely look to the US as an example of how much and what kind of ammunition and weapons to give to Ukraine.
Ukrainians are also very wise, if they saw that Zelensky would play politics amid the war and it would slow down Ukraine's victory, they would go protesting, even during the full-scale war. Ukrainians went on the streets many times and usually achieved what they demanded. Ukrainians will not allow anyone to speculate on rebuilding, including the President's team.
So, Congresswoman Spartz, do not worry, your homeland will be safe. At the same time, it is unwise to put such allegations in public and then admit to having no proof of it during the interviews. In the meantime, Ukraine counts on bipartisan support to win this brutal war of choice that russia started against Ukraine. Ukraine's win should be on the US-Ukraine agenda and in that case, US lawmakers will not need to allocate so much aid and Ukrainians will save their lives.
