To start, it is important to note that Congresswoman Victoria Spartz, while in fact having been born in Ukraine and currently serving as a member of Congress, in no way represents the interests of Ukraine or the Ukrainian American community. It is unfortunate that she has chosen at this time of great peril to Ukraine, when the United States and the White House have been Ukraine’s greatest ally, to create controversy that has made her a “useful idiot” for the Putin regime and its brutal aggression. This opprobrium applies to both her missive attacking the office of the President of Ukraine, which was denounced by the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine and then her statement disgracefully denigrating both the President of the United States and the President of Ukraine.
A review of her biography, education, and lack of any work in Ukrainian civil society, either in Ukraine or America, clearly shows that she is in no position to make strong and controversial statements about Ukraine. She has never done anything in or for the embattled nation. Frankly, her election was a complete surprise to anyone connected with Ukraine or the Ukrainian American community.
In the past, American society has often been infiltrated by enemy agents – Soviet, Russian, and the like. It is within that context that this latest controversy should be regarded, particularly as it unfolds precisely when American-supplied powerful weaponry such as the HIMAR arrays are helping Ukraine secure high-profile and impactful strikes against the invading Russian army. The Russians have no defense from these weapons systems, and the Americans are poised to provide significant additional weapons and assistance to Ukraine.
President Biden and Secretary Blinken should continue to pursue their policies aimed at helping not only to save Ukraine, but indeed Europe, from Russian aggression and criminality. Preventing these policies and undermining US confidence in Kyiv is without a doubt a major objective of the enemy.
Ukraine faces an existential threat from Russia. It is profoundly grateful for American and global support, understanding that the latter is very much a result of the former and of American leadership. That leadership has been manifested in favor of Ukraine by President Biden more emphatically than by any of his predecessors. We can only hope that Ms. Spartz is not working to dissuade the President from his support of Ukraine.
Americans must realize that members of Congress are merely people elected by popular vote. Their intelligence or dedication is not superior in any way to that of their constituents. Having been elected by the voters of Indiana’s 5th Congressional district, Ms. Spartz should represent the interests of those people. Questioning the internal composition of a foreign government is not within her purview.
While her duties may include checking and balancing the activities of the executive branch of the United States and the President, voters must take into account not only her party affiliation but her past connections and biases. For instance, it is worth considering her campaign for Congress, a campaign that largely consisted of demeaning her homeland. She emigrated from an independent Ukraine. Naturally, I hope that her electorate will see through her and send her home this coming election.
More importantly for Republican voters are the words of such respected Republicans as Senator Mitt Romney, who as a candidate for the US presidency in 2012 stressed that the gravest threat to the world today is Russia. Those words have proven prophetic today. Ms. Spartz, through her dissonance, is undermining that position and emboldening today’s biggest and most dangerous aggressor.
This is not about Republicans and Democrats, but about good and evil. Ms. Spatz is on the side of evil. This may be unwitting on her part, but I, personally, believe not, since she has no record as a well-meaning political activist, let alone as an American lawmaker of being opposed to tyranny, war crimes, and attempted genocide.
The people of Ukraine, who are waging a most valiant effort in defense of freedom not only for themselves but at the very least for Eastern Europe, together with the Ukrainian American community, are asking America to stand with Ukraine and stop Russian aggression, including war crimes and genocide, notwithstanding Congresswoman Spartz’ smears.
July 11, 2022 – Askold S. Lozynskyj, Former President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America 1992-2000 and President of the Ukrainian World Congress 1998-2008
