The agreement, unlike NATO's mutual defense provisions, would not require the United States to send troops in the event of an attack on Ukraine, committing the US president to work with Congress to implement the security agreement . However, since the agreement is not a treaty and will not be approved by the US Congress, there is a possibility that Trump or any future US president could withdraw from the commitments
According to a report by the Washington Post on June 13, Jake Sullivan, assistant to the US president for national security affairs, revealed that the United States and Ukraine will sign a 10-year security agreement during the G7 summit held on the 13th local time, and the United States will commit to providing Ukraine with extensive military assistance.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 22, 2024. (photo credit: LEAH MILLIS/REUTERS)
On the way to Italy to attend the G7 summit, Sullivan told the US media on US President Biden's plane that the US government hopes to demonstrate its long-term support for Ukraine through this agreement and strengthen Ukraine's "reliable defense and deterrence." "If (Russian President) Putin thinks he can outlast the alliance that supports Ukraine, he is wrong."
Sullivan also said that the agreement is a "bridge" for Ukraine to join NATO in the future: "This bridge will include helping Ukraine build the capabilities needed to ensure its own security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. You will see this in the text of the agreement."
U.S. government officials told The Washington Post that under the security agreement, the United States will continue to train Ukrainian troops, deepen cooperation with Ukraine in the defense industry, and share more intelligence with Ukraine. But the agreement, unlike NATO's mutual defense clause, does not require the United States to send troops if Ukraine is attacked.
The official said that if Ukraine is attacked again in the future, the United States promises to consult with the Ukrainian government within 24 hours. The agreement also promises that the U.S. president will work with the U.S. Congress to implement the security agreement.
Biden administration officials said that the signing of the security agreement is intended to establish a framework for long-term assistance, and future U.S. governments will continue to support Ukraine even if former U.S. President Trump wins the November election. But these officials acknowledged that since the agreement is not a treaty and will not be approved by the U.S. Congress, Trump or any future U.S. president may withdraw from the agreement.
At present, Trump and Biden are evenly matched in the polls, and the prospects of this security agreement remain unclear. Trump has repeatedly questioned aid to Ukraine, even claiming to "end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict within 24 hours" and demanding that Europe bear more aid. But he made concessions earlier this year and supported the U.S. Congress to pass a $61 billion aid bill to Ukraine.
The Washington Post said that the United States and Ukraine have been negotiating a security agreement for several months since August last year. The Biden administration is unwilling to provide Ukraine with a quick path to join NATO. Instead, US officials proposed signing a series of security agreements with Ukraine to build another "organized, binding, long-term aid mechanism for Ukraine."
Previously, 15 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, have signed bilateral security agreements with Ukraine. US officials expect that starting with the NATO leaders' summit to be held in Washington, the United States next month, the relevant countries will coordinate ways to fulfill their aid commitments to Ukraine.
Eric Ciaramella, a former White House official and researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, believes that this means that the US planning cycle for the Russia-Ukraine conflict will change, and it will think about deterrence and defense from a "broader perspective." "This is not the end. Over time, there will be ways to make the agreement stronger."
Regarding the security agreements signed between Ukraine and Western countries, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova previously commented that these agreements cannot change anything, but only confirm the West's large-scale military and economic assistance to Ukraine. "Even Western officials who signed these agreements with Kiev believe that these agreements are empty and have no coercive power."
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