The Biden administration allowed US contractors to service weapons in Ukraine, – Reuters

It is estimated that there will be from several dozen to several hundred American contractors in Ukraine.

In its final months, the administration of President Joe Biden decided to allow American defense contractors to work in Ukraine to service and repair weapons provided by the Pentagon , US officials told Reuters.

It is noted that this is a significant change in policy aimed at helping Kyiv in the fight against Russia.

A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the contractors would be small in number and would be far from the front lines and would not take part in hostilities.

They will help ensure that US-provided equipment “can be quickly repaired if damaged and maintained as needed,” the official said.

The restrictions have sometimes slowed repairs in the past and have become increasingly difficult as the U.S. has supplied Kyiv with more sophisticated systems, such as F-16 fighter jets and Patriot air defense systems, officials said.

CNN adds that the weapons systems that will be serviced by US contractors include F-16 fighter jets and Patriot air defense systems.

Much of the equipment is not being used by Ukraine because it is damaged, a second US official said. Journalists note:

“The move is the latest loosening of restrictions by the Biden administration, which sought to help Ukraine defend itself against Moscow’s 2.5-year-old invasion without directly engaging in conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia.”

A third U.S. official said the decision would push the Pentagon to take action from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, which already have U.S. contractors in Ukraine.

The official added that no U.S. troops would be needed to protect contractors in Ukraine, and that issues such as security and risk mitigation would be the responsibility of those companies that contract with the Pentagon.

Some U.S. defense contractors have traveled to Ukraine in small numbers in the past, servicing weapons not supplied by the Pentagon, the official said.

Given that there is already a “wide range of US companies” that have personnel in Ukraine performing contracts for the Ukrainian government, there will not be a significant increase in the number of US companies working in the field, the first official said.

(c)UNIAN 2024