Behind the US move to send military experts to Ukraine
This week, the Pentagon announced it would send experts to Ukraine to examine how US-supplied weapons are being used by Kiev in its conflict with Russia.
This group of experts were the first military members of theAmerica in Ukraine, alongside security experts at the US Embassy in Kiev.
President Biden has insisted that the United States will not send troops to fight in Ukraine, but this week’s announcement comes amid growing concerns, particularly among Republicans, about how Ukraine is taking advantage of US military assistance.
 |
The Pentagon announced that it will send weapons experts to Ukraine to examine how US-supplied weapons are used by Kiev. Photo: The Hill |
A senior US Defense Department official told reporters on October 31 that the Pentagon has yet to see "credible evidence of misuse of weapons provided by the US."
“However, we are fully aware of the potential risks of illegal use of these weapons and we are proactively taking every step to prevent that from happening.”
The Pentagon has not said how many weapons experts are in Ukraine or where they are working.
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said on November 1 that "embassy personnel" would "stay away from any frontline action."
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy made headlines last month when he said that most Republicans did not approve of giving “blank checks” to Ukraine.
Kevin McCarthy and other Republican leaders have said the party is not seeking to scale back support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia but instead wants to increase scrutiny of US aid packages.
The US has pledged to provide nearly $20 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since January 2021, including air and missile defense systems to counter Russian forces, which have far superior military power.
The Biden administration also pledged to maintain this support until the conflict comes to an end.
The inspection of weapons used in Ukraine is part of a comprehensive plan the US State Department announced last week to prevent the misuse of advanced weapons in Ukraine. The plan also said that Russian seizure of weapons was the main cause of Ukraine’s weapons losses.
“Wars can provide opportunities for illegal arms dealers and sometimes create black markets in weapons that last for decades,” the plan states.
To deal with this risk, the US said it will cooperate with Ukraine to better protect these weapons, identify and investigate arms smuggling activities, and increase surveillance of Ukraine's borders./.
