US considers lifting restrictions on its military companies to operate in Ukraine

The White House wants to lift the restriction on sending US military contractors to Ukraine to assist Kyiv in maintaining and repairing US-provided weapons systems.

CNN reports this with reference to four American officials.

As noted in the publication, the change, which is likely to be approved this year, will allow the Pentagon to award contracts to American companies for work in Ukraine for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Russia.

The United States hopes this will speed up the maintenance and repair of American weapons systems in service with the Ukrainian military.

The sources emphasized that the policy change would not lead to a large number of American contractors being present in Ukraine, as was the case in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, a few dozen to several hundred contractors will work in Ukraine simultaneously.

As CNN interlocutors emphasized, the decision is still under development and has not yet received final approval from President Joe Biden.

For the past two years, Biden has insisted that all Americans, and especially the military, stay as far away from the battlefield in Ukraine as possible. The State Department directly warned Americans against traveling to Ukraine starting in 2022.

Therefore, military equipment provided by the US that was damaged during the hostilities had to be transported from Ukraine to Poland, Romania, or other NATO countries for lengthy repair work.

At the moment, American soldiers can support Ukrainians for equipment maintenance remotely, either through videoconferencing or a secure phone call. However, the US military and contractors are not permitted to handle the systems directly.

Over the last few months, administration officials have started revising those limitations. If the US permits skilled American contractors, who are funded by the US government, to be in Ukraine, they can assist with repairing the equipment more quickly.

In particular, the F-16 fighter jets, which Ukraine is to receive this year, will require regular maintenance.

For reference:

It should be noted that the United States Army opened a new plant to produce artillery shells in Mesquite, Texas. The plant will produce about 30,000 projectiles for 155-millimeter guns every month, crucial for Ukraine's military operations.

In addition, the United States Army plans to double the production of artillery shells used by Ukraine by October 2024.