(Dan Tri) - The administration of US President Joe Biden reversed a three-year policy by allowing some military contractors to deploy to Ukraine to support the maintenance and repair of weapons systems aided by Washington.
US allows contractors to deploy to Ukraine (Photo: Getty).
"To help Ukraine repair and maintain military equipment provided by the United States and its allies, the Pentagon is inviting a small number of contractors who will help Kiev maintain technical guarantees," a US defense official confirmed on November 8.
“These contractors will be far from the front lines and will not be fighting Russian forces,” the official added. “They will help the Ukrainian Armed Forces quickly repair and maintain US-supplied equipment as needed so that it can be quickly returned to the front lines.”
The new policy, approved earlier this month ahead of the election, would allow the Pentagon to award contracts to US companies working in Ukraine for the first time since Russia launched its military campaign in the neighboring country.
Defense officials confirmed that the US is moving forward with the plan because some of the systems it has provided to Ukraine, particularly the F-16 and Patriot, “require specific technical expertise to maintain.” Washington hopes the policy will speed up the maintenance and repair of weapons systems used by the Ukrainian military.
The policy marks another significant shift in approach by President Joe Biden’s administration, as the US seeks to help Ukraine’s military gain the upper hand against Russia in Biden’s final weeks in office.
The Pentagon is expected to soon begin posting contracts online. Bidding companies will be required to develop robust risk mitigation plans to prevent threats to their personnel.
"The Department made this decision after careful risk assessment and coordination with relevant, interagency stakeholders. Each US contractor, organization or company will be responsible for the safety and security of their personnel and will be required to include risk mitigation plans in their bids," the US official said.
It is unclear whether President-elect Donald Trump will maintain this policy when he takes office in January. He has repeatedly said he could end the Russia-Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of returning to power.
For the past two years, President Biden has insisted that all Americans, especially U.S. troops, stay away from the Ukrainian front lines. The White House has been determined to limit the danger to Americans, especially since Russia sees U.S. troops fighting in Ukraine. The State Department has explicitly warned Americans not to travel to Ukraine starting in 2022.
As a result, US-supplied military equipment that is badly damaged in combat has to be shipped out of Ukraine to Poland, Romania or other NATO countries for repairs, a time-consuming process.
The US military is also willing to help Ukraine with more regular maintenance and logistics, but only remotely via secure video or phone calls — an arrangement that has inherent limitations, as US troops and contractors cannot work directly with weapons systems.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/my-bat-ngo-cho-phep-nha-thau-quan-su-den-ukraine-20241109134829514.htm
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