US signs long-awaited bilateral security agreement with Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden signed a long-awaited bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and the U.S. on the first day of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy on June 13.

The agreement lays out a vision for a strong and resilient Ukraine, a just peace, economic recovery, and the restoration of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Biden said after the signing.

The agreement "clearly states that America supports Ukraine's efforts to win this war," Zelensky said, describing the deal as a "bridge" to Ukraine's future NATO membership.

The text states that the U.S. "commits to support Ukraine in developing a modern, NATO-interoperable force that can credibly deter and, if necessary, defend against future aggression," including developing Ukraine's air and missile defense, cybersecurity, and maritime capabilities.

The U.S. also commits to working toward procurement of squadrons of modern fighter aircraft, "including, but not limited to, F-16s," according to the text.

"It is very important that the agreement addresses the issue of Russia's responsibility," Zelensky added, noting that the text emphasizes that Ukraine should be provided with "fair compensation for damage caused by Russian strikes."

The agreement states that the U.S. "intends to hold Russian sovereign assets in United States jurisdiction immobilized until Russia pays for the damage it has caused to Ukraine."

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Additionally, the agreement details commitments from Ukraine on reforms and on end-use monitoring for Western-supplied weapons.

Ukraine and the U.S. held multiple rounds of negotiations on the agreement, which follows the pledge made by the G7 during the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023 to commit to Ukraine's long-term defense.

President Volodymyr Zelensky described the deal earlier on June 13 as "unprecedented."

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told the press on June 12 that as a result of the agreement, the U.S. benefit from Ukraine's "insights and experience, its battlefield innovations, and its lessons learned from the front."

The U.S. joins 15 other countries, including the U.K., Germany, and France, that have signed similar bilateral treaties to help Kyiv repel Russia's aggression.

Zelensky and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida signed an agreement between Ukraine and Japan hours earlier on June 13.

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