Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stands in front of a Patriot air defense missile system during a visit to a military training area in Germany on June 11, 2024. (Jens Buettner/dpa via AP)
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon is now allowing a small number of U.S. defense contractors to work in Ukraine to maintain American provided weapons, according to a defense official.
The contractors will be located far from the front lines and will not be fighting Russian forces, according to the defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Having small numbers of contractors in Ukraine conducting maintenance away from the front lines will help ensure US-provided equipment can be rapidly repaired when damaged and be provided maintenance as needed,” the official said.
The contractors will work on weapons systems such as F-16 jets and Patriot air-defense systems that require technical expertise to maintain, the official said.
“It is worth noting that there already are a wide array of American companies who have personnel in Ukraine fulfilling contracts for the Ukrainian government, so this will not lead to a substantial increase of employees of U.S. companies working on the ground in Ukraine,” the official added.
It is not clear whether President-elect 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 on Jan. 20.
Trump is considering a plan that would see European troops in charge of a demilitarized zone in Ukraine, where the U.S. would continue to provide arms in exchange for Ukraine giving up a sizable amount of territory and its desire to join NATO.
The Trump administration’s approach to dealing with Ukraine and the U.S. handling of the war now amounts to a reversal of President Joe Biden’s long-stated promise to stick with Ukraine and its war effort for as long as it takes.
The U.S. has provided about $60.4 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russian forces invaded in February 2022.
