US President Joe Biden and Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky have signed a 10-year security agreement, under which Washington has pledged to continue to back Kiev in its conflict with Moscow.
The deal was signed on the sidelines of the G7 summit in southern Italy on Thursday. Under the agreement, the US has promised to “help deter and confront any future aggression against the territorial integrity” of Ukraine and to “support Ukraine’s efforts to win today’s war and deter future Russian military aggression.”
“It is the policy of the United States to assist Ukraine in maintaining a credible defense and deterrence capability,” the text declares. Washington has pledged to support Kiev in numerous ways, including military aid, intelligence sharing, and economic assistance
“A lasting peace for Ukraine must be underwritten by Ukraine’s own ability to defend itself now and to deter future aggression,” Biden told reporters after the signing ceremony.
In a video address released on Friday morning, Zelensky claimed the treaty elevates relations between the US and Ukraine “to the level of a true alliance.” He described the security deal as “the strongest agreement with America in all 33 years of our independence.”
Since 2023, Ukraine has made similar pacts with individual NATO countries, including the UK, France and Germany. According to Zelensky, Kiev now has 17 security agreements with foreign backers, “with ten more in preparation.”
The treaties are intended to serve as long-term commitments without granting Ukraine the status of a NATO member. The documents signed so far do not have the power of Article 5 of the NATO Charter, however – which stipulates that an attack on one member must be treated as an attack on the alliance as a whole.
Kiev formally applied to join NATO in September 2022. Washington has made it clear, however, that Ukraine cannot become a member until its armed conflict with Russia is resolved. Russia, for its part, has repeatedly warned that no amount of Western aid will deter its military operation in Ukraine.