Press
In the midst of the Ukraine war, the USA and Ukraine are concluding a security agreement. Biden and Zelensky want to sign the agreement at the G7 summit.
Bari – The USA and Ukraine have signed a security agreement with a term of ten years. The Americans have promised Kiev, among other things, further military support, cooperation with regard to the arms industry and the exchange of intelligence information. US President Joe Biden and his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Zelensky wanted to sign the agreement on Thursday evening on the sidelines of the G7 summit in southern Italy.
With the agreement, the United States secures further assistance to Kyiv in the Ukraine War and potential future attacks by Russia, but without providing security guarantees. The USA also wants to help the partner country to become fit for a NATO-Membership.
“Ukraine’s future lies in NATO”: USA wants to make Kyiv fit for NATO membership
The agreement broadly regulates cooperation between the two countries at all possible levels, including with regard to military equipment, training and maneuvers. At the same time, Ukraine is called upon to implement various reforms: for example in the areas of justice, law enforcement and the fight against corruption, but also in military capabilities and structures in order to achieve NATO standards in the future.
“The United States reaffirms that Ukraine’s future lies in NATO,” says the document published by the US government on Thursday. But it is also clear that from the US perspective, Ukraine still has a long way to go before it can join the military alliance.
As expected, the agreement does not contain any commitments to deploy American forces to defend Ukraine. Biden has always categorically ruled this out – despite recent appeals from the French President Emmanuel Macronto send military trainers there. Rather, the US government says it is more concerned with ensuring that Ukraine continues to be able to defend itself. The agreement also makes no commitments to supply specific weapons systems.
The US government viewed the agreement with Kyiv as a message to Moscow that it was committed to continued and long-term support for Ukraine.
Ukraine has already signed several security agreements – including with Germany
Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February 2022 and has been waging a large-scale war of aggression against its neighboring country ever since. The United States is Kyiv’s most important ally in the defensive struggle. Both sides had been negotiating the bilateral security agreement for a long time. Zelensky had expressed the hope of making it the strongest of all agreements. And indeed, the commitments made by the military power of the United States are of particular value to Ukraine.
Kiev had previously signed similar agreements with a dozen countries, including Germany. A similar agreement was signed with Japan on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy. The agreements promise Kiev financial and military aid for an initial period of ten years. No country has yet given security guarantees.
The background is that the G7 group of western economic powers committed themselves at the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius last year to better protect Ukraine with long-term military and financial aid. A corresponding declaration was signed. Other states joined the agreement with the G7 at the time. However, the declaration fell far short of the security guarantee that joining NATO would offer. In the defense alliance, all NATO states are obliged to provide military assistance in the event of an attack.
Ukraine is making intensive efforts to become a NATO member. However, it is unlikely that the country will soon be accepted into the military alliance. In the meantime, the bilateral agreements are intended to serve as a bridge. (dpa)
#Ukraine #USA #conclude #security #agreement #Future #NATO