President Biden’s administration is crafting a potential “bilateral security agreement” that would commit the United States to providing Ukraine with military, economic and political support for the next ten years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday that he and Biden are currently engaged in discussions about the deal which would secure long-term U.S. taxpayer funding for the Eastern European nation.
Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) “and all the congressmen for their support” in passing the recent $61 billion aid package to Kyiv.
The Ukrainian leader asserted that the proposed agreement with the U.S. would ensure Ukraine could mount its strongest defense against Russian forces and would complement existing agreements with France, Germany and the U.K.
The potential deal includes provisions for “joint production of weapons,” although specifics were not provided. Zelenskyy noted that he and Jeffries agreed on the need for the U.S. to supply Ukraine with Patriot missile systems. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced on Friday that Washington would send additional Patriot systems to Kyiv as part of a $6 billion foreign aid expenditure.
Despite the influx of billions in funding and weapons, the war appears to be turning in Russia’s favor with reports of declining morale among Ukrainian forces as Moscow achieves successive victories.
The proposed decade-long commitment to back Ukraine’s security is likely to face opposition from congressional Republicans and U.S. taxpayers growing weary of supporting prolonged global conflicts.
