Blinken: Zelensky, Biden may meet to sign security agreement in 'coming weeks'
President Volodymyr Zelensky could meet with U.S. President Joe Biden to sign a bilateral security agreement in the "coming weeks," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on May 15.
Over 30 countries have joined the Group of Seven (G7) Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine so far. The U.K., Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, and Latvia have already signed bilateral agreements with Kyiv.
Apart from the U.S., negotiations with Estonia, Spain, and the Czech Republic are reportedly underway.
The fourth round of talks with Washington was held on May 6, the Presidential Office reported.
During a joint press briefing with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Blinken said the bilateral agreement terms are "almost approved."
Kuleba added that a "trusting dialogue" has been established between Zelensky and Biden.
The minister also hopes that the parties will have an opportunity to discuss necessary issues and sign the agreement. Kuleba did not yet reveal the potential date of the presidents' meeting.
Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said earlier that Ukraine expected to finalize the agreement with the U.S. in May.
G7 members presented their plan for long-term security commitments for Ukraine at the NATO summit in Vilnius in early July last year.
Under this plan, individual countries would provide bilateral support to help Kyiv repel the ongoing Russian invasion and deter any future aggression.
The security guarantees would entail explicit and long-lasting obligations, as well as bolster Ukraine's ability to resist Russian aggression. The guarantees would also cover sanctions, financial aid, and post-war reconstruction.
Kateryna Denisova
