Biden signs 10-year pact with Ukraine that could be upended if Trump wins
President Joe Biden signed a 10-year security agreement Thursday with Ukraine that pledges military support for the next decade in its war with Russia, but the measure could unravel with the possible election of Donald Trump and without continued backing from a divided Congress.
The agreement, which Biden and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed at a Group of Seven summit in Fasano, Italy, establishes a framework for long-term U.S. assistance for Ukraine forces. It also signals solidarity with 15 other nations that have signed similar pacts in support of Ukraine.
The U.S. and other G7 leaders also agreed to provide Ukraine a $50 billion loan to rebuild damaged infrastructure and purchase weapons that will be backed by interest from Russian assets that were frozen after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022.
"It's another reminder to Putin: We're not backing down. In fact, we're standing together against this illegal aggression," Biden said at a joint press conference with Zelenskyy.
Yet the deal is between two heads of state, not a treaty or a resolution ratified by Congress, meaning political differences over the U.S. role in Ukraine could upend the agreement.
Biden said the deal seeks to provide weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, expand intelligence sharing between the two countries, train Ukrainian troops at European and U.S. military bases and invest in Ukraine's defense industrial base. The pact, Biden stressed, does not involve committing U.S. soldiers to Ukraine.
"Our goal is to strengthen Ukraine's credible defense and deterrence capabilities for the long term," Biden said. "A lasting peace for Ukraine must be underwritten by Ukraine's own ability to defend itself now and to deter future aggression anytime in the future."
The agreement comes after Congress in April approved $60 billion in security funding for Ukraine at Biden's request. But congressional Republicans held the bill up for months, with some on the right flank of the party voicing opposition to continued funding for Ukraine.
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has said he supports aid to Ukraine in the form of loans but has not given a clear position whether the U.S. should back Ukraine financially long term. Trump has said he could orchestrate a peace deal between Ukraine and Russian in 24 hours if elected to a second presidency.
Trump has threatened to remove the U.S. from NATO, if elected to a second presidency, if other nations don't increase their financial obligations to the western alliance. "Why isn't Europe giving more money to help Ukraine?" Trump wrote in an April 18 post on his social media web site Truth Social.
The deal signed by Biden and Zelenskyy looks to accelerate Ukraine's acceptance as a memeber of NATO, an objective long sought by Zelenskyy. Under the agreement, Ukraine must commit to various democratic, economic and security reforms that match European Union ascension goals and NATO requirements.
Zelenskyy said the deal is the "strongest agreement with Ukraine and the U.S. since our independence" and seeks to "guarantee sustainable peace."
"Therefore it benefits everyone in the world because the Russian war against Ukraine is a real global threat," he said.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan called the agreement "a signal of our resolve," telling reporters ahead of the signing that it's meant to show the U.S. stands with Ukraine "not just tomorrow, but out into the future."
Biden said the deal also lays out a "shared vision for a just peace" that reflects the principles of the United Nations charter and "holds Russia accountable for the damage it has done in this war."
The Biden administration on Wednesday also announced $300 million in new sanctions on key parts of Russian's financial sector as well as Russian individuals and companies helping Russia's war efforts.
Collectively, Biden said the set of new actions shows Putin that "he cannot wait us out, cannot divide us, and we will be with Ukraine until they prevail in this war"
Contributing: Reuters. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden signs 10-year security agreement with Ukraine
