During the G7 summit, - USA and Ukraine Sign Deal for Monetary and Military Support
America and Ukraine pen a 10-year long security pact. This promises Kiev further assistance in the armaments sector, joint military action, and intelligence exchange. This deal was supposed to be signed by President Joe Biden and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the G7 summit in Italy on a Thursday evening.
With this pact, the US intends to strengthen its defense against Russia's offensive campaigns and potential future attacks, all without granting formal security guarantees. It also aims to help Ukraine prepare for potential NATO membership.
This agreement lays down the blueprint for collaboration on all possible levels, such as weapons, training, and joint exercises. At the same time, Ukraine is requested to usher in reforms in areas like justice, law enforcement, and combating corruption, as well as developing its military skills and infrastructure to ultimately align with NATO standards.
The US backs Ukraine's NATO ambition
The US document published on Thursday states, "The United States believes Ukraine's future lies with NATO." However, the long road to NATO membership for Ukraine is clear from the perspective of the US, with no immediate membership in sight.
No promises for using US troops to defend Ukraine are mentioned in the deal. Biden has always been against this idea, despite French President Emmanuel Macron's recent appeal for military trainers there. Instead, the US government is intent on helping Ukraine develop its own defense capabilities. The agreement doesn't make definitive promises about delivering specific weapons systems either.
The agreement as a statement to Russia
The US government views the agreement with Ukraine as a message to Russia - a strong commitment to support Ukraine over the long term.
Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February 2022 and has since waged a large-scale offensive war on its neighboring country. The US is Ukraine's most fervent ally in this battle. Both parties have been discussing this bilateral security agreement for some time. Zelenskyy had expressed the hope it would be the strongest one ever. And indeed, the promises made by US military power hold immense value for Ukraine.
Aid from various countries
Kiev has already secured similar arrangements with more than a dozen countries, such as Germany. The G7 summit in Italy saw an additional pact with Japan being signed. These agreements provide financial and military support to Ukraine for the next decade. There have been no security guarantees given by any country so far.
Last year at NATO's Lithuanian capital conference, the G7 group of Western economic powers pledged to protect Ukraine with long-term military and financial aid. A declaration was signed to this effect. Other nations also joined the G7 agreement. This declaration, however, was far from offering Ukraine the complete security guarantee that NATO membership would provide. In the NATO alliance, there's an obligation to lend military support to a member state under attack.
Ukraine is striving for NATO membership. While it's a possibility that the country could join the military alliance soon, it's deemed less likely. In the interim, bilateral agreements are meant to provide an interim solution.
