The Biden administration decided against a military proposal to deploy American contractors to Ukraine to maintain Western military equipment, including F-16 fighter jets, citing safety concerns, the Wall Street Journal reports.
According to US officials, the National Security Council evaluated the proposal but ultimately rejected it due to safety risks identified by the intelligence community.
“The intelligence community raised concerns over the prospect of Russia targeting American contractors in Ukraine,” a US official told the WSJ.
The refusal to send personnel to maintain the F-16 became known after Ukraine lost the first fighter jet it received from its Western allies a few weeks ago.
Ukrainian General Staff confirmed on 28 August the loss of an F-16 fighter jet during combat operations against Russian forces. On 4 August, President Zelenskyy confirmed the delivery of the first Western-provided F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, which the country has been asking to bolster its air defense since the beginning of the full-scale war.
“The complex nature of these aircraft requires extensive maintenance, with “hours of service for every hour of flight time,” the WSJ reports.
The administration has not completely ruled out the possibility of sending contractors in the future, but it appears unlikely in the near term.
The reluctance to send US personnel into Ukraine reflects broader concerns about American involvement in the war. The WSJ reports that President Biden and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan were particularly worried about the lack of “adequate” response plans should American contractors come under attack.
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