The Biden administration has lifted a de facto ban on American military contractors deploying to Ukraine to help the country’s military maintain and repair US-provided weapons systems, particularly F16 fighter jets and Patriot air defense systems, an official with direct knowledge of the plan told CNN.
Officials said they hope it will speed up the maintenance and repairs of weapons systems being used by the Ukrainian military.
It is not clear whether Donald Trump will keep the policy in place when he takes office in January.
Trump has said he hopes to end the war between Ukraine and Russia “within 24 hours” of returning to power.
“These contractors will be located far from the front lines and they will not be fighting Russian forces.
Allowing experienced, US government-funded American contractors to maintain a presence in Ukraine means they will be able to help fix damaged, high-value equipment much faster, officials have told CNN.
Instead, it would likely result in anywhere from a few dozen to a couple hundred contractors working in Ukraine at a time. »
