US officials spent two hours explaining to Congresswoman Spartz the inappropriateness of her criticism of Kyiv.
Officials from the National Security Council and the US State Department held a nearly two-hour briefing for Ukrainian-born US Congresswoman Victoria Spartz, who is known for her criticism of the Ukrainian authorities, CNN reported, citing sources.
According to the channel, US lawmakers fear that Spartz’s criticism of the Kyiv authorities threatens to “undermine confidence” in Volodymyr Zelensky and harm US-Ukraine relations, as well as give undecided lawmakers an excuse to oppose the next aid package to Ukraine. The channel’s sources said that leading Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Armed Services Committees have already called on Spartz to change its stance.
The administration of US President Joe Biden also “intervened”: according to CNN sources, officials from the National Security Council and the State Department held a nearly two-hour briefing for Spartz, which concerned her allegations of improper actions by the Ukrainian government. Officials are said to have either refuted the congresswoman’s allegations or did not find enough evidence to support her claims.
Interlocutors of the channel said that Spartz also met with Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and during the meeting, expressed concern about corruption in Ukraine. According to the channel, Millie did not directly refute the congresswoman’s fears, but generally explained that they were exaggerated.
Spartz, in particular, has been critical of Zelenskiy’s office chief Andriy Yermak, and last month accused him of “undemocratic governance.” On July 8, the congresswoman sent a letter to Biden asking for a briefing on Yermak and allegedly his “alleged Russian-related deals,” CNN recalls.
The date of the briefing is not specified, however, according to the TV channel, it was held “recently”.
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