President Biden will sign a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine during a meeting Thursday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, sending what a senior White House official called a “signal of our resolve” to Russia, nearly two years and half after the start of the war.
The two leaders will sign the pact, which will pledge continued defense and security cooperation, during a meeting at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One.
“Our goal here is straightforward. We want to demonstrate that the United States supports the people of Ukraine, that we stand with them, and that we will continue to help meet their security needs, not just tomorrow, but in the future,” Sullivan said.
Biden is scheduled to meet Thursday with Zelensky. The two will hold a press conference following the discussions.
The agreement will outline a vision for how the US and its allies can work with Ukraine to strengthen its ability to defend itself against Russia and deter future aggression from Moscow.
Sullivan said the pact will make clear that the White House intends to work with Congress to find a path to sustainable resources for Ukraine, a potentially challenging goal given Republican resistance to continued aid to Kiev.
The agreement also makes clear that there is no commitment for U.S. forces to join the fight in Ukraine, Sullivan said.
“By signing this, we will also be sending Russia a signal of our resolve,” Sullivan said. “If [Russian President] Vladimir Putin thinks he can survive the coalition supporting Ukraine, but he is wrong. He simply cannot wait for us and this agreement will show our determination and continued commitment.”
Biden has made a point, during each of his international trips, of highlighting the unified front that the US and its allies have demonstrated in supporting Ukraine, and this theme will likely again be central to this week’s events at the G7.
Europe’s leaders are supposedly deeply alarmed about former President Trump’s potential return to the White House and what that would mean for support for Ukraine and broader Western alliances. Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine almost immediately after taking office, though he offered few details about what a peace deal might look like.
Biden is skipping the Ukraine peace summit, held Saturday in Switzerland, to return home for a big fundraiser in California. Vice President Harris will attend in his place.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
