Congresswoman Spartz, who does not support aid to Ukraine, wins Republican primary

Ukrainian-born congresswoman Victoria Spartz, who opposes the transfer of US$61 million in aid to the country, has won the Republican primaries in Indiana.

According to The Associated Press, Spartz defeated eight Republican competitors to secure a spot on the ballot this autumn in a district that is consistently Republican.

Spartz, the first and only Ukrainian-born congresswoman, previously supported providing aid to Kyiv. But on the eve of the primaries, she changed her position and voted against the transfer of the US$61 million aid to Ukraine.

Spartz claimed that her loyalty was primarily to America and wanted the US-Mexico border policy to be included in the aid package.

The election in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis was partly a test of whether Spartz's manoeuvres would pay off. Her competitors widely shared her position, including state representative Chuck Goodrich, who borrowed US$4.6 million for the campaign.

Goodrich attacked Spartz for her past support for Ukraine, saying she puts "Ukraine first".

Spartz planned to leave Congress last year, refusing to be re-elected to the House of Representatives and giving up the chance to compete for the Senate seat vacated by Republican Michael Braun. She later changed course, deciding to run for another term in the House of Representatives.

While considering aid to Ukraine, the US House of Representatives did not support any of the four amendments to the draft, including Victoria Spartzʼs.