US sends weapons experts to Ukraine amid fears of misuse, diversion
The Biden administration has sent weapons experts to Ukraine to inspect US-supplied arms for use against Russia amid rising concerns among American lawmakers about their likely misuse and diversion.
Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder declared on Tuesday that inspections had been “in development for a while,” but did not unveil how many weapons experts were dispatched to Ukraine, when they had arrived and where they would operate, the Washington-based The Hill news outlet reported.
The group is among the first US military personnel in Ukraine, apart from those providing security at the US Embassy in Kiev.
The report further quoted a “senior Defense Department official” as saying, “We are keenly aware of the possible risk of illicit diversion and are proactively taking all available steps to prevent this from happening.”
The Defense Department official was also cited as noting that the weapons experts now in Ukraine have already conducted several inspections as part of the US Defense attaché in Ukraine and the US Office of Defense Cooperation.
The announcement came amid growing concerns — particularly among Republicans — about how effectively Ukraine is utilizing massive American military aid to the country. The new policy focuses on efforts to stop the illegal trade or misuse of powerful weapons like Javelin and Stinger missile systems.
US President Joe Biden has repeatedly promised that American forces will not be deployed in Ukraine for combat.
According to the report, the Republican Leader of the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, set off a firestorm last month when he declared that the anticipated Republican majority in the next Congress would not issue a “blank check” to Ukraine.
McCarthy and other right-wing Republican leaders, however, sought to clarify that the party would not seek to scale back support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia, but it rather wanted to increase oversight of US military aid.
ME
