Katerina Chernovol22:21, 06/25/24

Companies bidding for contracts to operate in Ukraine will need to develop robust risk mitigation plans for their employees.

The administration of US President Joe Biden is moving closer to lifting a de facto ban on US military contractors deploying to Ukraine to help the Ukrainian military maintain and repair US-provided weapons systems.

CNN writes about this with reference to four American officials. The change would mark another significant shift in the Biden administration’s Ukraine policy as the U.S. looks for ways to give the Ukrainian military an edge against Russia.

The policy is still being developed and has not yet received final approval from President Biden, officials said.

“We have not made any decisions and any discussion of this issue is premature. The President is absolutely confident that he will not send American troops to Ukraine,” one administration official said.

Once approved, the changes would likely take effect this year and would allow the Pentagon to award contracts to U.S. companies to operate in Ukraine for the first time since Russia’s 2022 invasion, officials said. Officials said they hope it will speed up maintenance and repair of weapons systems used by the Ukrainian military.

CNN notes that over the past two years, Biden has insisted that all Americans, and especially American troops, stay away from the front lines in Ukraine. The State Department has explicitly warned Americans against traveling to Ukraine starting in 2022.

As a result, military equipment provided by the United States that has received significant damage in battle must be transported out of the country to Poland, Romania or other NATO countries for repair, a process that takes a long time.

“The US military can also help the Ukrainians with more routine maintenance and logistics, but only from a distance via video chat or secure phone – a mechanism that has certain limitations, since US military personnel and contractors cannot directly work with the systems,” the material says. .

Administration officials began seriously reconsidering those restrictions over the past few months as Russia continued to score victories on the battlefield and funding approval for Ukraine stalled in Congress. Allowing experienced US government-funded US contractors to maintain a presence in Ukraine means they can help repair damaged, expensive equipment much more quickly. One advanced system that officials say will likely require regular maintenance is the F-16 fighter jets that Ukraine is due to receive later this year.

Companies bidding for contracts will be required to develop robust risk mitigation plans for their employees, one official said.

Current and former officials familiar with discussions about the deployment of contractors to Ukraine emphasize that it would not lead to the same overwhelming presence of U.S. contractors in Ukraine as there was in Iraq and Afghanistan. But, probably, from several dozen to several hundred contractors will work in Ukraine at the same time.

“This would be a much more focused and thoughtful effort to support Ukraine domestically,” said retired Army officer Alex Vindman, who served as director of European affairs on former President Donald Trump’s National Security Council.

Vindman has been pushing for lifting restrictions for nearly two years and said the administration has been working on a plan to ease restrictions since earlier this year.

“Ukraine is our ally. The United States has strong, critical national security interests in supporting Ukraine, and there are many measures to reduce risks,” he emphasized.

(C)UNIAN 2024