Biden To Sign 10-Year Security Agreement With Ukraine

 President Joe Biden is set to sign a deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday that would lock the U.S. in a 10-year agreement supplying the European country with military assistance.

The decade-long U.S.-Ukraine agreement was first discussed by Zelensky in April, who said at the time that the countries were working to ensure “specific levels of support for this year and for the next ten years, including armed support, financial, political, and joint arms production.” U.S. officials said the new agreement guarantees that the U.S. would continue supporting Ukraine even if Donald Trump wins the 2024 election and gets sworn in for a second term in the White House, The Washington Post reported.

“We want to demonstrate that the U.S. supports the people of Ukraine, that we stand with them, and that we’ll continue to help address their security needs not just tomorrow but out into the future,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Wednesday.

The agreement does not specify an exact dollar amount the U.S. must send to Ukraine and doesn’t require American troops to be deployed to defend the country, according to the Post. Officials did say, however, that the deal promises that the U.S. would hold high-level consultations with Kyiv within 24 hours if Ukraine is attacked again.

“If [Russian President] Vladimir Putin thinks that he can outlast the coalition supporting Ukraine, he’s wrong,” Sullivan added.

Sullivan made those comments on Air Force One as President Joe Biden flew to Italy for a meeting with Group of Seven leaders.

The U.S. sends far more military support to Ukraine than any other country in the world. In April, Congress passed another bipartisan foreign aid package that included another $61 billion for Kyiv as its war against Russia continues. Fifteen other countries, including the U.K., France, Germany, and Italy, have signed bilateral agreements with Ukraine.

During the G7 meeting on Thursday, world leaders agreed to loan Ukraine $50 billion this year, which will be backed by frozen Russian assets, ABC News reported. Officials said those funds would be used to support Ukraine’s military, budget, humanitarian needs, and reconstruction.

 

“Ukraine is still going to have a large financial need next year and beyond and this summit is our best chance to act collectively to close the gap. … This agreement is a signal from the leading democracies of the world that we’re not going to fatigue and defend Ukraine’s freedom and that Putin is not going to outlast us,” a senior Biden administration official said, adding that Russia is ultimately the country paying for the loan.

“Russia pays…the income comes from the interest stream on the immobilized asset,” the official said. “The principal is untouched for now, but we have full optionality to seize the principal later if the political will is there.”