The US government shutdown has thrown Ukraine talks into doubt

Hundreds of thousands of US federal employees were placed on forced leave after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement on government spending, leading the US government to suspend operations, The Telegraph reports.

This has left negotiations on a possible drone agreement between Ukraine and the US in limbo.

A Ukrainian delegation arrived in Washington on Tuesday for meetings with White House officials to develop an agreement on drone technology exchange in exchange for US royalties.

The talks were in jeopardy as a result of the shutdown, as federal employees were asked to stay home.

"I don't see how they can continue. The main concern is that we're having a lot of discussions about future (weapons) deliveries. All future projects have been somewhat affected because representatives from the Pentagon, the State Department, and the White House aren't meeting, and we're wasting time because of this shutdown," said a Ukrainian source.

He added that other Ukrainian delegations scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks are now revising their plans.

Photo: OP.