A Ukrainian official has fired back at Representative Victoria Spartz, a Ukrainian-born member of Congress, after she called for Kyiv to cede land to Moscow to bring an end to the war.
Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke out after the Republican Indiana congresswoman said Kyiv must give up some of its territory and push for the resignation of its leader, President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Newsweek has contacted Spartz’s office for comment.
Why It Matters
It’s the latest criticism of the congresswoman, who made headlines last year for voting against aid to Ukraine. Her recent rhetoric mirrors the Kremlin’s—Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede its currently occupied territories and Russian President Vladimir Putin has also called for Zelensky’s resignation.
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What To Know
“I just don’t see how they [Ukraine] can be positioned to demand to keep the land. If they would be winning the war, that will be very different,” Spartz told The Telegraph in remarks published Monday.
“As I said two years ago, the best thing is to win wars as fast as you can,” Spartz added. “‘As long as it takes’ usually doesn’t end very well for democracies.”
Ukrainian spokesperson Tykhyi responded in a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Unlike Victoria, all of our land has always been and will always remain Ukrainian.”
He was likely suggesting that Spartz is not truly Ukrainian. Born in Ukraine in 1978, she immigrated to the United States in 2000, and later became a U.S. citizen, according to her website.
The Indiana congresswoman also suggested to The Telegraph that Ukrainians should oust Zelensky.
“They will have election, and then if they elect him, they’re going to lose the rest of the country,” she warned.
Putin has claimed Zelensky doesn’t have the right to sign any documents in potential peace deals because the country hasn’t held recent presidential elections.
Elections were suspended in Ukraine in February 2022 under martial law that was imposed in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion, but President Donald Trump and Putin have both pressured Ukraine by questioning Zelensky’s legitimacy as a leader.
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian lawmaker Yevheniia Kravchuk said on X: “Recent Victoria Spartz’s statements are not advice. They’re an insult to a nation fighting for its survival. Ukrainians decide their own future, we don’t need instructions on who to elect or what land to ‘give up.’
“Meanwhile, we remain committed to the peaceful efforts led by the U.S. and our partners. But peace cannot be built on humiliation—only on justice, freedom, and respect for a people who pay the highest price for these values every single day.”
Ukrainian poet, soldier and marine Yara Chornohuz said on X: “Dear Americans, don’t be fooled by this lady. She is not Ukrainian and doesn’t represent interests of our nation. To be born in Ukraine in 1970s and move to the U.S. as a student in 2000s—does not mean that the one has any connection to our modern state or has a moral value to speak on behalf of Ukrainians.
“Moreover, past years she pretended pathetically on public that she had already forgotten Ukrainian language. She is not Ukrainian, she is just one more dumb Trumpist who uses her origin when it’s profitable for her and her master…”
What Happens Next
Talks are currently underway between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine, to potentially bring an end to the conflict.