This newest scandal flows right from the highest levels of the president's office and inner circle. It involves theft on a massive scale, even as the regular citizens of Ukraine face material hardships. Suffering Ukrainian patriots deal with lost loved ones, the constant threat of nighttime attacks, and serious unaffordability issues – all while kleptocrats with nicknames like "Sugarman" and "Che Guevara" rob the treasury of the people.

These crimes also greatly offend the good citizens of the United States, who have been the primary benefactors of Ukraine during this time of war. In fact, without massive American financial generosity, plus a constant flow of American intelligence cooperation, this war would have been lost by Ukraine.

Thankfully, as carefully documented by Ukrainian Pravda, inside the country there are still committed patriots who believe in transparency and accountability, especially at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. These brave investigators forge ahead with their critical work, despite constant harassment and even unlawful, warrant-less raids of NABU's offices by Zelenskyy's police forces.

It seems certain now that those June raids -- and broader attacks upon independent investigators – resulted directly from knowledge within the president's offices of this impending investigation and set of criminal charges, especially against Tymur Mindich.

The fact that Mindich and his chief financial henchmen Oleksandr "Sugarman" Tsukerman are now safely ensconced in Israel as this scandal explodes in Kyiv, surely points to both men receiving tip-offs about their looming apprehensions. Mindich fled the country only hours before independent authorities raided his apartments, including one with an opulent "toilet of gold," allegedly financed with his ill-gotten criminal bounties.

While they presently live in luxury abroad, a courageous detective named Mahamedrasulov sits in jail in Ukraine, facing bogus charges from Zelenskyy's regime alleging that the investigator was somehow working for Russia. This scurrilous charge of "Russian cooperation" has become the default smear concocted by Zelenskyy against nearly any political or investigative foe within Ukraine.

No wonder Americans tire of this kind of systemic corruption.

In fact, ABC News in the US reports that the American F.B.I. now cooperates with the NABU in the Ukraine investigation.

Ukrainians should know that the economic mood within the United States grows gloomier, as domestic affordability issues continue to perplex workers across America. Given this backdrop, the notion of funding a cabal of grifting Zelenskyy operators across the ocean, becomes a political impossibility.

Polling reflects this reality. For instance, a recent national survey of young voters in America, age 18-25 years old, shows that only a scant 23% of young adults want to stay "engaged" in Ukraine if Zelenskyy and Putin cannot reach a peaceful resolution soon. More broadly 2/3's of these Americans (66%) believe that America "intervenes too much" overseas.

Zelenskyy's popularity already wanes, even before these serious revelations. Americans nearly always focus internally -- and lean heavily right now on domestic priorities, rather than faraway conflicts. As the details of Operation Midas sound increasingly like a corrupt circus, domestic support for American intervention dissipates, and fast.

So, for America to continue to act as the key partner to the people of Ukraine, four actions become imperative.

1. The president's office in Ukraine must fully cooperate with all independent investigations, provide full transparency to the people of Ukraine and the US, and cease ALL harassment of anti-corruption authorities.

2. Detective Rasulov must be freed from jail immediately.

3. Zelenskyy and Yermak must reach a reasonable resolution to the war with Russia, or else risk continuing the fight without America's help.

4. Once a ceasefire is secured, elections must be held so that Zelenskyy is forced to face the verdict of the Ukrainian people regarding this chronic level of official corruption.

If these concrete reforms occur, then the United States can continue to act as the most significant partner for the people of Ukraine, achieving a just peace and a productive rebuild. That Ukrainian restoration must involve a systemic shift against corruption so that the people of Ukraine can achieve the kind of lasting prosperity they deserve.

Steve Cortes is president of the League of American Workers, a populist right advocacy group for laborers and a former broadcaster for Fox News and CNN.

He is a pollster and senior advisor to major US political campaigns, including Trump 2016 and 2020, and Vance's 2022 Senate run.