During the G7 summit in Italy, US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bilateral security agreement, reinforcing the US’s commitment to Ukraine. The agreement, resulting from months of negotiations, outlines a decade-long support plan involving military training, enhanced cooperation in arms production, ongoing military assistance, and increased intelligence sharing.

In his remarks, President Biden reaffirmed unwavering US support, emphasizing the goal of enabling Ukraine to defend itself and deter future threats. He underscored the continued focus on providing air defense systems to Ukraine, noting that other nations requesting similar support would need to wait. Biden also announced new sanctions targeting over 300 individuals and entities linked to Russia’s war effort and foreign financial institutions aiding Russia, along with restricting Russia’s access to US software and IT services.

President Zelensky hailed the agreement as a “truly historic day,” asserting that it benefits global security by addressing Russia’s threat. He described the pact as a strategic step toward Ukraine’s NATO membership and expressed confidence in future US support despite the agreement’s non-binding nature for subsequent administrations. Zelensky also noted assurances from Chinese leadership about not supplying weapons to Russia.

A notable aspect of the G7 summit was the agreement among leaders to loan Ukraine funds backed by profits from frozen Russian investments. This provided a significant financial boost to Kyiv amid its ongoing conflict with Russia. This summit followed a contentious debate in the US Congress over additional Ukraine funding, an issue for which Biden personally apologized to Zelensky.

The pact, classified as an “executive agreement,” lacks the binding force of a treaty, raising uncertainties about its longevity, especially with former President Donald Trump, a potential 2024 contender, hinting at a different approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict without detailing his strategy.