Steve Cortes, president of the League of American Workers, said on May 13 that recent corruption charges involving a former senior Ukrainian official come as the United States has provided substantial financial support to Ukraine during its conflict with Russia.
U.S. aid to Ukraine has reached about $127 billion in direct support, including military equipment, economic stabilization, and humanitarian aid. Additional related spending by U.S. agencies brings the overall commitment to about $188 billion focused on the region, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
“The potentate of plunder steals from his people and America,” Cortes said in a post on X. “For years, I have been warning Americans about the intense, systemic corruption of the Zelensky regime. Once more is learned about the depths of these scandals, it seems certain that U.S. indictments will flow as well because stealing American aid is a U.S. crime, no matter where the offense takes place.”
Cortes’ remarks followed charges against Andriy Yermak, who previously served as chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Yermak was charged with money laundering tied to the construction of a luxury residential compound outside Kyiv, according to The Kyiv Independent.
The Kyiv Independent reported that Yermak has been under investigation in a broader $100 million corruption probe centered on the state nuclear company Energoatom. Nine suspects had already been charged in the Energoatom case, including individuals with prior government connections, according to The Kyiv Independent.
