(MENAFN) Indiana Representative Victoria Spartz, the sole Ukrainian-born member of the United States Congress, has announced her decision to halt efforts to secure additional funding for Ukraine, citing limitations in her ability to advocate for her homeland. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Spartz expressed resignation, stating that while she had done what she could, there were limits to her influence as an individual lawmaker.

With the Republican-controlled House of Representatives poised to vote on a military aid package for Ukraine in the near future, Spartz revealed that she would not be rallying her GOP colleagues to support a Senate-approved USD95 billion aid bill, which includes USD60 billion designated for Ukraine. She conveyed a sense of pragmatism, noting that she could only choose so many battles to champion.

Having been born in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1978 before immigrating to the United States in 2000 and obtaining citizenship six years later, Spartz has been a vocal advocate for aid to Ukraine since joining Congress in 2021, particularly following Russia's military intervention in 2022. However, her stance has evolved over time, aligning more closely with the increasingly isolationist stance of the Republican Party.

Despite previously accusing Russia of committing "genocide" in Ukraine and supporting measures such as a ban on Russian oil and gas imports, Spartz's position has shifted. In July 2022, she criticized Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, accusing him of political gamesmanship and advocating for greater United States oversight of weapons and ammunition provided to Ukraine. Moreover, she has refrained from publicly endorsing either the Senate's USD95 billion aid bill or a larger USD105 billion package proposed by President Joe Biden.

Spartz's decision to step back from advocating for additional aid to Ukraine reflects not only the complexities of United States foreign policy but also the diverging perspectives within the Republican Party regarding America's role in international conflicts. As debates over aid to Ukraine continue, Spartz's shift underscores broader dynamics shaping United States policy towards the ongoing crisis in Eastern Europe.

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