US military contractors may be allowed to go to Ukraine
Pravda Ukraine
The US administration is moving closer to lifting a de facto ban on the deployment of US military contractors to Ukraine to help the Ukrainian military maintain and repair US-provided weapons systems.
Source: CNN, citing four officials with knowledge of the matter, European Pravda reports.
Details: The United States withdrew all of its instructors from Ukraine before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has decisively ruled out a military presence on Ukrainian territory since then.
As a result, US-provided military equipment that has been heavily damaged in the fighting has to be taken out of the country to Poland, Romania, or other NATO countries for repairs, a process that takes a long time.
CNN sources said that over the past few months, the Biden administration has been re-examining restrictions on contractors in Ukraine in light of the continued advance of Russian troops and the delay in military assistance.
They stressed that the decision is currently being discussed and has not received final approval from the US president.
But if it’s approved, the Pentagon will be able to sign contracts for the deployment of American contractors in Ukraine to help the local engineers repair equipment for the first time since 2022. For example, CNN reports that F-16 fighter jets are expected to require regular repairs after Ukraine starts using them.
One of the sources pointed out that American companies participating in the Pentagon’s tenders will have to develop reliable mechanisms to reduce threats to their employees in Ukraine.
France launched a discussion about possible Western military presence in Ukraine and is believed to be gathering a group of countries that are willing to send their instructors there.
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