BORGO EGNAZIA, June 14: US President Joe Biden and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement on Thursday aimed at bolstering Ukraines defense against Russian invaders and getting Ukraine closer to NATO membership.
The deal, signed on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy, aims to commit future US administrations to support Ukraine, even if former President Donald Trump wins Novembers election, officials said.
"Our goal is to strengthen Ukraines credible defense and deterrence capabilities for the long term," Biden said at a joint news conference with Zelenskiy.
He said the G7s message to Russian President Vladimir Putin is "You cannot wait us out. You cannot divide us." The group of rich nations also agreed to a $50 billion loan for Ukraine backed by profits from frozen Russian assets.
The US-Ukraine security deal is a framework for a long-term effort to help develop Ukraines outdated armed forces and serve as a step towards Ukraines eventual NATO membership, according to the text.
The Ukraine president called the agreement historic, saying it is a bridge toward his countrys eventual NATO membership. "This is an agreement on security and thus on the protection of human life," he said.
Zelenskiy has long sought NATO membership but the allies have stopped short of taking that step. The Western alliance regards any attack launched on one of its 32 members as an attack on all under its Article Five clause.
In the event of an armed attack or threat of such against Ukraine, top US and Ukrainian officials will meet within 24 hours to consult on a response and determine what additional defense needs are required for Ukraine, the agreement says.
Meanwhile, Russias foreign ministry spokeswoman dismissed on Friday a US-Ukraine security deal announced during the G7 summit as "just pieces of paper".
Maria Zakharova was also quoted by Russian news agencies as saying: "These agreements are about nothing. They do not have legal force."
On Thursday, Ukraine signed security agreements with the US and Japan, the latest in a series of similar deals struck with its Western allies including Britain and France.
The documents include promises to continue military and financial support for Ukraine over the long term against the Russian military offensive. —REUTERS, AFP
