Biden to sign new security pact with Ukraine at G7
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STORY: Joe Biden will sign a new security agreement with Ukraine at the G7 summit on Thursday, according to a top U.S. official. The president on Wednesday departed for Italy on Air Force One for his meeting with leaders of the Group of Seven democracies. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on the flight the agreement would make clear that U.S. support for Ukraine would “last long into the future... particularly in the defense and security space." Sullivan added the pact will include a commitment to working with the U.S. Congress on funding Ukraine going forward, but will not commit to using U.S. forces on the ground. The White House had said earlier that Biden will meet again with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the summit. G7 leaders will address multiple challenges during the June 13-15 meeting. They include wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, trade imbalances with China, threats posed by artificial intelligence and development challenges in Africa. Shoring up funding for Ukraine will be a top priority. U.S. and European officials are eager to lock in solutions ahead of a possible Trump re-election and the uncertainty it would raise over future U.S. support for Kyiv. Sullivan said the U.S. is "making good progress” on an innovative plan to use Russian assets frozen in the West to provide Ukraine with a large up-front loan to secure Kyiv's financing for 2025. Biden will press other G7 leaders to agree to using some $281 billion of Russian central bank funds to back up a $50 billion loan to Ukraine.
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