Congresswoman Spartz calls on Yermak to resign

Tuesday, 12 July 2022, 05:45

ANASTASIA KALATUR – TUESDAY, 12 JULY 2022, 05:45

PHOTO: GETTY

American congresswoman Victoria Spartz has stated that head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak should resign.

Source: Spartz statement

Quote: "Many Americans and Europeans have had serious concerns with Mr. Yermak for a while.

If Mr. Yermak was a statesman, as someone with an already questionable reputation, he would have resigned this winter after assuring the Ukrainian leadership that no attack by Russia was going to happen, which reduced Ukraine’s preparedness. However, it is never too late to do the right thing."

Details: Spartz stated that Yermak is running a smear campaign against her. In addition, she claims that instead of recognizing Ukraine’s military and starting an all-country effort to support it, Kyiv "with Andriy Yermak effectively at the helm, is playing politics." According to her, Kyiv seems to have money for reconstruction efforts for nonessential infrastructure, but no money to support soldiers, as with the long-promised housing for 2014 Anti-Terrorist Operation fighters from the occupied territories.

Read more: Interview with Viktoria Spartz: accusations against Yermak, weapons control and criticism of Ukraine

Background: 

  • Earlier, the congresswoman sent a letter to USA President Joe Biden with a request to provide an explanation regarding contacts with the head of the Presidential Office.
  • In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised Spartz's appeal, stating that her actions "are an undisguised attempt to turn to American politics with the classic Russian propaganda narratives of the supposed ties of Ukrainian leadership with Russia and involve our country in the domestic politics of the United States."
  • Lately, Spartz stated that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, "must solve the problem" of Andriy Yermak and called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to take her statements seriously.

For reference. Victoria Spartz is a member of the Republican Party and the first Ukrainian-born American to win election to the US House of Representatives in 2020. In April 2022, Spartz was one of the US representatives on the first official visit to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.