Spartz spoke about the concerns of Republicans and Democrats in the US Congress about how control over the spending of aid transferred to Ukraine will be organized.
“The problem I’m talking about exists on a bipartisan level! And you need to solve it!.. Ukraine’s problems will be big if Ukraine cannot come to an agreement with us now, if the Congress does not feel that we can trust you. It’s not my question. Ukrainians do not understand that Congress has a responsibility to oversight, oversight on where and what American money is spent on. Our voters choose us for this,” she said.
The congresswoman, in response to a question about the head of the OP and control over the spending of funds, said that “the problem is not in Yermak.”
“The problem is not Yermak. There are problems in your country that are not being solved. And when I ask why they do not dare, our people tell me that because of Yermak. That’s why it went up. The problem is that your country is not preparing for war, is not doing the right things, and this worries me a lot. If this person is not the source of problems, then you need to look at what’s next, why these problems occur. Because that’s not what’s happening to you right now. You are not preparing for war. You even act like you don’t have a war!” she continued.
Journalists asked if she was serious about saying this to two Ukrainians. “At a time when there are dead relatives and friends, are you saying that we do not feel, are not ready for the war?” they were outraged.
Spartz said that she reasoned this way because she was in Ukraine “from west to east.”
“And if you have a war, then every person in Ukraine, young and old, should be part of the war. But when you drive through your cities, when you watch how your cities are preparing for attacks, you see that in many places this does not happen. You all expect that the West will do everything.People are sitting in restaurants in Kyiv, as if you no longer have a war, because the war has gone east.If you have such a big war, then the whole industry, all your people should work on it. But that’s your question. It doesn’t bother me. But for me, the question is that if we spend American taxpayers’ funds in Ukraine, then we must be sure that these funds go to the guys who are fighting with you,” she added.
The congresswoman believes that “everyone should dig trenches,” Ukrainians, in her opinion, do not understand that there is a war in the country.
“Ukraine and every Ukrainian must understand that you have a very serious war. It is necessary that people, in whatever way they can, help your army, help the military, people who want to fight. Everyone must do what they can, who can help in any way. You must switch to a military footing. I advise you not to underestimate your opponent,” Spartz said.
Spartz is a native of the Chernihiv region, she was born in 1978. In 2000, Spartz left for the United States, and after 20 she became the first congresswoman who was born and raised in Ukraine, notes “BBC News Ukraine”.
Spartz on July 8 turned to US President Joe Biden with a request to provide explanations on the oversight procedures related to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, and to check information about “his alleged ties to Russia”.
In the letter, she also mentioned Oleg Tatarov, deputy head of the Presidential Office, whom she accused of delaying the appointment of the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine criticized the appeal of Spartzsaying that her actions “are a blatant attempt to return to American politics the classic Russian propaganda narratives about the alleged ties between the Ukrainian leadership and Russia and to involve our state in US domestic politics.”
On July 9, Democrat Marcy Kaptur, who co-chairs the pro-Ukrainian caucus in the US Congress, expressed support to the Office of the President of Ukraine. She, in particular, stated that “those who spread wild narratives aimed at undermining the positions of Ukrainian officials during the war” are helping Russian President Vladimir Putin and his propagandists.
Ukrainians have collected UAH 1 billion for drones within the framework of two actions in recent weeks – UAH 600 million in within the framework of the “People’s Bayraktar” project at the end of June and UAH 400 million – to the “army of drones” (the project started on July 1).
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