The Biden administration authorized the deployment of US military contractors in Ukraine. They are supposed to help the local army maintain and repair American military equipment, especially Patriot air defense systems and F16 fighter jets, an official with knowledge of the plan told CNN on Friday.
According to the source, the new policy in relation to Ukraine was approved at the beginning of this month even before the presidential election, in which the Republican Donald Trump won. This will allow the Pentagon to award contracts to American companies for work within Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
“The contractors will be located far from the front lines and will not be fighting against Russian forces. They will help the Ukrainian armed forces quickly repair and maintain US-provided equipment as needed so that it can be quickly returned to the front lines,” said the official on condition of anonymity. According to him, F16 fighters and Patriot systems require specific technical knowledge for maintenance. The Pentagon is expected to begin posting contractor contracts online soon.
This is another significant change in the policy of the administration of President Joe Biden in Ukraine, as the US looks for ways to give the Ukrainian military an advantage in the fight against Russia. During the past two years, Biden has insisted that all Americans, and especially American soldiers, stay away from the Ukrainian front line.
It is not certain whether Trump will maintain this policy when he takes office in January. Several times he indicated a significant reduction or interruption of support for Kyiv. In the election campaign, he promised to end the war between Ukraine and Russia “within 24 hours” of his return to power, CNN recalls. He did not specify how he would like to do this.
