Ukraine and US Sign Historic Security Agreement Set for Senate Approval Shortly

On June 13, Ukraine and the United States signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement, emphasizing their call for Europe to maintain its commitment to the ongoing fight against Russia.

It is noteworthy that the document is different from those that Ukraine has signed previously — If Kyiv signed security cooperation agreements with other countries, then the agreement with the US is primarily a security agreement. The American security agreement also became the first to provide for the registration of this interstate agreement with the UN.

“For Ukraine, this will be the first legally binding security agreement. Until now, all other agreements that Ukraine has signed with partners have been only politically binding. So the American agreement will be the strongest legally,” explained to European Pravda the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva.

Zhovkva also said that the United States intend to further strengthen the binding nature of the agreement by approving it in parliament.

“A corresponding resolution will be adopted by the Congress, in both houses. This will not formally be ratification, since an executive agreement of this type does not require ratification, but we will receive political and legal support from the Congress,” he explained.

The agreement entered into force immediately after being signed by Presidents Zelenskyy and Biden, and will be in effect for 10 years; this means that it will remain in effect for at least two US presidents. “The agreement states that it is implemented by the US administration, regardless of the name of the president,” noted Zhovkva.

It was previously reported that any future US president could withdraw from the agreement due to it not a treaty and not being ratified by Congress.