CNN
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The Biden administration has lifted the de facto ban that barred U.S. military contractors from deploying to the country. Ukraine to help the country’s military maintain and repair U.S.-supplied weapons systems, particularly F16 fighter jets and Patriot air defense systems, an official with direct knowledge of the matter told CNN plan.

The new policy, approved earlier this month ahead of the election, would allow the Pentagon to award contracts to U.S. companies to work in Ukraine for the first time since Russia invaded in 2022. Officials said they hoped it would speed up the maintenance and repair of weapons systems used by the Ukrainian military.

It is unclear whether Donald Trump will maintain this policy when he takes office in January. Trump said he hoped to end the war between Ukraine and Russia “within 24 hours” of returning to office.

“To help Ukraine repair and maintain military equipment supplied by the United States and its allies, the DoD (Department of Defense) is issuing a request for proposals for a small number of contractors who will assist the “Ukraine to maintain the assistance we have already provided to it,” the defense said. an official said.

“These contractors will be located far from the front lines and will not fight Russian forces. They will help the Ukrainian Armed Forces quickly repair and maintain U.S.-supplied equipment as needed so that it can be quickly returned to the front lines.

The defense official confirmed that the U.S. is moving forward with the plan because several of the systems the U.S. has provided to Ukraine, particularly the F-16 and Patriot, “require expertise specific technique to be maintained.

This change marks another significant change in the Biden administration’s Ukraine policyas the United States looks for ways to give the Ukrainian military an advantage against Russia. The Pentagon is expected to begin listing contracts online soon, the official said.

For the past two years, Biden has insisted that all Americans, and especially U.S. troops, stay away from the Ukrainian front lines. The White House is determined to limit both the danger to Americans and the perception, particularly by Russia, that the American military is engaged in combat there. The State Department has explicitly warned Americans against traveling to Ukraine since 2022.

As a result, U.S.-supplied military equipment that suffered significant combat damage had to be transported out of the country to Poland, Romania, or other NATO countries for repair, a process that takes time. U.S. troops are also available to assist the Ukrainians with routine maintenance and logistics tasks, but only remotely via video chat or secure phone — an arrangement that has inherent limitations, since both troops and contractors Americans are not able to work directly on the ground. systems.

Allowing experienced, government-funded American contractors to maintain a presence in Ukraine means they will be able to help repair damaged and high-value equipment much more quickly, officials told CNN. One advanced system that officials say will likely require regular maintenance is the F-16 fighter, which Ukraine received earlier this year.

Companies bidding for contracts would be required to develop robust risk mitigation plans to reduce threats to their employees, officials told CNN.

“The ministry has taken this decision after careful risk assessment and in coordination with inter-agency stakeholders,” the defense official said. “Every U.S. contractor, organization or business will be responsible for the safety and security of its employees and must include risk mitigation plans as part of its bids.”

Current and former officials said the policy change would not result in the type of major U.S. contractor presence that existed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, it would likely result in between a few dozen and a few hundred contractors working in Ukraine simultaneously.

“It should be noted that there is already a wide range of US companies that have personnel in Ukraine carrying out contracts for the Ukrainian government. So this will not result in a substantial increase in the number of US company employees working on the ground in Ukraine,” he added. » said a defense official.

This story has been updated with additional details.