The U.S. and Ukraine to Sign Long-Term Defense and Security Agreement on the Sidelines of G7 Summit

U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are set to sign a long-term defense and security agreement on Thursday during the G7 summit in Italy. Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, announced this news at a press conference in Washington on Wednesday, emphasizing that the signing of such an agreement will inform Russian President Vladimir Putin of the United States' resolve. He stated, 'If Vladimir Putin thinks he can outpace the coalition supporting Ukraine, he is mistaken.' The leaders of the G7 countries plan to discuss several other international challenges during their meeting this week, including the war in the Middle East, trade imbalances with China, artificial intelligence, and migration. This three-day summit begins on Thursday, June 13 (24 Khordad). John Kirby, the National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator, told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that the United States and its partners will increase costs for Russia's war machine. He added, 'We will announce new steps to utilize frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine and assist Ukrainians in rebuilding the devastation caused by Putin's army.' The U.S. has targeted Russia's financial infrastructure with a new set of sanctions. Ukraine has reported destroying several Russian air defense systems in Crimea and the continuation of Moscow's attacks on Kyiv's infrastructure. A former CENTCOM commander told Voice of America that Iranian drones and missiles have been beneficial for Russia in its war with Ukraine. Biden's focus at the G7 summit includes addressing China's excess capacity and utilizing frozen Russian assets for Ukraine. A two-day conference on 'Rebuilding Ukraine' will take place in Germany with the participation of the leaders of both countries.