During a meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris on the sidelines of the Global Peace Summit in Burgenstock, Switzerland, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked her for the bilateral security agreement.
As reported by European Pravda, Zelenskyy thanked the Joe Biden administration and the United States in general at the beginning of the meeting. The President of Ukraine noted that implementation of the agreement is already in process.
"Today, we can already say that our teams have begun to implement it," the president announced, adding that it is about strengthening the security of Ukraine, the whole of Europe, "and therefore America."
He also expressed his gratitude to the US Congress for approving the funding that unblocked military aid to Ukraine.
For her part, Kamala Harris emphasized that the United States supports Ukraine "not out of charity, but because the people of Ukraine and their future are in our strategic interests."
Earlier during the day, Harris announced that over $1.5 billion in new assistance for Ukraine’s energy sector and humanitarian needs during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Peace Summit in Switzerland.
Bilateral security agreement
On 13 June 2024, US President Joe Biden and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have signed a ten-year bilateral security agreement to bolstering Ukraine’s defense against Russian invaders.
The agreement, which is meant to be a step towards Ukraine’s eventual NATO membership, was signed on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy. The deal is one of the most significant in a series of agreements Ukraine has signed with NATO countries.
The agreement stipulates that in the event of an armed attack or threat against Ukraine, senior US and Ukrainian officials will meet within 24 hours to discuss a response and assess Ukraine’s additional defense requirements.
“To ensure Ukraine’s security, both sides recognize Ukraine needs a significant military force, robust capabilities, and sustained investments in its defense industrial base that are consistent with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)standards,” says the text.
In addition, the US intends to provide long-term training and advising, intelligence, security, defense industrial, institutional, support to Ukraine.
Read more:
- Zelenskyy announces signing of security agreements with US and Japan
- Zelenskyy: Ukraine negotiating with ten more countries to sign security agreements
- Reuters: New US-Ukraine deal promises immediate response to military threats, long-term support for Ukraine’s armed forces
- Zelenskyy praises Western permission to use its weapons to strike inside Russia at G7 Summit, calls for more “Patriots” and F-16 jets
- Ukraine signs security pact with Sweden, securing €6.5 bn
