The US government is moving closer to allowing military contractors to be sent to Ukraine to help repair and maintain the transferred US equipment, according to CNN.
According to four unnamed American officials who spoke to the agency, this proposal is being considered by employees of the administration of US President Joe Biden, but final approval from the head of state has not been given yet.
“We have not made any decisions and any discussion of this is premature. The president is absolutely firm that he will not be sending US troops to Ukraine,” one of the Biden Administration officials told CNN.
Sources told the agency that if approved, this decision will take effect later this year. It would allow the Pentagon, for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, to provide contracts to American companies to work in Ukraine. This could expedite the repair and maintenance of equipment used by Ukrainian defenders.
CNN notes that currently, damaged American equipment in Ukraine must be transported to Poland, Romania, or other NATO countries for repairs. This process takes considerable time.
Officials disclosed that the issue of sending military contractors began to be seriously discussed several months ago "as Russia continued to make gains on the battlefield" and due to delays in allocating new funding for Ukraine.
According to the agency's sources, F-16 fighter jets, which Ukraine is to receive in the summer, will require regular maintenance.
What preceded it
The United States has repeatedly rejected the possibility of sending its military to Ukraine. In particular, this was stated by President Joe Biden.
Recently, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Brown, rejected the possibility of sending military instructors to Ukraine in the near future.
According to him, the United States can make such a decision only after the war between Ukraine and Russia is over.