Victoria Spartz, formerly known for her support of Ukraine in the US Congress, is now negatively impacting Ukraine’s defense capabilities through her rhetoric and actions.
Victoria Kulgeiko, aka Victoria Spartz, is a Ukrainian-born U.S. Congresswoman who was born in Nosivka, Chernihiv Oblast, in 1978. After moving to the United States and becoming an American citizen, she became the first Ukrainian woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020. Initially, Spartz actively supported Ukraine, including during the signing of the Lend-Lease Act in May 2022, when she was next to President Joe Biden. However, over time, her rhetoric changed, causing a wave of criticism both in Ukraine and among American politicians. Her accusations of corruption in the Ukrainian government and the spread of narratives about alleged sales of Western weapons have become scandals very useful for Russian propaganda and undermining Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
In her statements, Victoria Spartz has repeatedly emphasized corruption in Ukraine, citing it as one of the reasons for doubting the feasibility of providing large-scale aid to Kyiv. In 2024, she voted against a $61 billion aid package to Ukraine, arguing that there was a lack of proper oversight of the funds and allegations of corruption, without providing concrete evidence. These allegations partially echo the rhetoric promoted by pro-Russian sources seeking to undermine the credibility of the Ukrainian government.
However, the claim that Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries in the world is not true. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024, Ukraine ranks 104th out of 180 countries, which is a significant improvement over previous years. By comparison, Russia ranks 141st, indicating a much higher level of corruption. Ukraine has been actively working on anti-corruption reforms, in particular through the NABU and the SAPO, although challenges remain. Spartz’s accusations of systemic corruption without concrete evidence oversimplify a complex situation and ignore Ukraine’s efforts to fight corruption during the war. Spartz’s accusations against Ukraine are absurd. It’s like a person in need of rescue being denied help because they have germs on their hands. It is worth recalling that every person has millions of germs on their hands. And on this basis, Spartz wants Ukrainians to die without American help, because the last corrupt official has not yet been caught.
Fakes about arms sales: a threat to defense capabilities
One of Spartz’s most high-profile accusations was that Ukraine allegedly sold Western weapons to third countries, such as Syria or Mexico. These allegations, made in 2022, coincided with Russian propaganda narratives that promoted the idea that Western weapons provided to Ukraine were being sold on the black market.
Research by the BBC and StopFake experts has shown that information about Ukraine’s sale of Western weapons, including through the darknet, is fake. For example, advertisements for the sale of American carbines or Javelins contained old photos, some dating back to 2014, or photoshopped images that did not correspond to reality. The US, EU, and NATO have repeatedly stated that they have no complaints against Ukraine regarding the use of the weapons provided, and the Verkhovna Rada has created a special commission to oversee their distribution. Thus, Spartz’s accusations are not only not supported by the facts, but also damage Ukraine’s credibility among its Western partners, which is critical to its defense capabilities.
Spartz’s motivation
Spartz’s critics, including Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko, accuse her of trying to earn political capital in the United States by using anti-Ukrainian rhetoric. In 2025, Spartz supported Donald Trump’s dialogue with Vladimir Putin and called on Ukraine to accept the loss of the occupied territories, which caused outrage in Ukraine. Her claims that the words about the loss of territories were distorted by journalists did not diminish the criticism, as she did not provide clear evidence for her accusations.
Spartz’s accusations have already had serious consequences for Ukraine, which depends on Western military and financial support in its war against Russia. Spreading fake news about arms sales and corruption undermines the trust of partners, which can delay or reduce aid. For example, its statements in 2022 sparked discussions in the United States about the need for stricter control over arms sales, which complicated logistics. At the same time, Ukraine demonstrates transparency: all Western weapons are registered and sent to the frontline.
Moreover, Ukraine is geographically unable to sell Western weapons to Mexico or Syria, even if it wanted to. The spreaders of fakes about the sale of Western weapons had failing grades in geography at school, because to the east and north of us are the enemy countries of Russia and Belarus, and it is doubtful that they would allow Javelins to transit to Mexico.
In the West, there are NATO members, and Moldova, which shares only a border with Romania, also a NATO member. So how could the border guards of Poland or Hungary allow Western weapons from Ukraine to pass through their territory? And Ukraine could not do this via the Black Sea route because of the cargo inspections under the “grain initiative.” Ukraine could not sell Western weapons in any way.
Victoria Spartz, who was once a symbol of support for Ukraine in the US Congress, has begun to damage Ukraine’s defense capabilities through her rhetoric and actions. The former Ukrainian chose the path of political populism, which leads to a mortal threat to the country where she was born.
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