Biden And Zelenskyy To Sign 10-Year Bilateral Security Agreement

13:45 ET 18:45 BST: US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will hold a joint press conference on the margins of the G7 leaders' summit in Puglia, Italy, where they will sign a 10-year bilateral security agreement. LIVESTREAM

• White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters yesterday: "Our goal here is straightforward. We want to demonstrate that the U.S. supports the people of Ukraine, that we stand with them, and that we’ll continue to help address their security needs not just tomorrow but out into the future."
• Sullivan said, "we’re explicit in the agreement that we intend to work with Congress over the coming months to find a path to sustainable resources for Ukraine," and notes, "the agreement does not include any commitment to using our own forces to defend Ukraine."
• Although the bilateral security agreement is not a formal treaty ratified by Congress, it may go some way to ‘Trump-proofing’ US support for Ukraine as it would require an active measure to reverse the agreement, should Trump win the White House in November.
• Trump's position on Ukraine has been ambiguous. He is broadly viewed as sceptical of US support for Kyiv, and has pressed Europe to do more to support Ukraine, but gave his tacit approval for Congress to approve new aid this Spring.