OAN Staff Blake Wolf
1:42 PM – Friday, November 8, 2024
The Biden administration will now allow American military contractors to deploy to Ukraine, to aid in repairing U.S. military equipment used in the Ukraine war.
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The new policy in place, which was reportedly approved earlier this month, will allow the Pentagon to post contracts for American companies to operate inside of Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of the war, attempting to expedite maintenance and repairs of critical weapons and defense systems.
Equipment such as F-16 fighter jets and Patriot air defense systems which required “specific technical expertise to maintain,” were previously transported to nearby countries like Poland and Romania for repairs, which was inefficient and costly.
U.S. troops were also previously available to assist the Ukrainians on maintenance via video chat, which also had clear limitations.
“In order to help Ukraine repair and maintain military equipment provided by the US and its allies, DoD (Department of Defense) is soliciting bids for a small number of contractors who will help Ukraine maintain the assistance we’ve already provided,” stated an unnamed defense official, according to CNN.
“These contractors will be located far from the front lines and they will not be fighting Russian forces. They will help Ukrainian Armed Forces rapidly repair and maintain US provided equipment as needed so it can be quickly returned to the front lines,” the official continued.
President Biden has previously enacted a moratorium for U.S. troops and American companies, requiring them to stay out of Ukraine due to the potential risks, as well as to control the optics of the situation, as to not make it seem like the United States was actively engaged in combat.
Additionally, the companies bidding for the government contracts would be required to provide their own risk mitigation plan in order to keep their American employees safe amidst an ongoing war.
“The department made this decision after careful risk assessment and in coordination with interagency stakeholders,” the unnamed defense official added. “Each US contractor, organization or company will be responsible for the safety and security of their employees and will be required to include risk mitigation plans as part of their bids.”
It is currently unclear if President-elect Donald Trump plans to continue Biden’s new policy, as Trump stated he plans on ending the war “within 24 hours” of occupying the Oval Office.
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