- Biden and the Ukrainian president will meet at the G7 in Apulia
- The deal would not have the force of a treaty, but it would be a signal of commitment
President Joe Biden is close to signing a deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky aimed at committing the US to 10 years of military aid – a move that could put pressure on rival Donald Trump if he takes over the White House.
The move is a key ‘outcome’ of Biden’s G7 meetings due to start in Italy’s Apulia region on Thursday. The president arrived last night and will meet Zelensky one on one before the two leaders will hold a joint press conference on Thursday evening local time.
“We want to show that the U.S. stands with the Ukrainian people, that we stand with them and that we will continue to help address their security needs, not just tomorrow, but in the future,” said the U.S. National Security Advisor White House, Jake Sullivan. reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the annual confab.
The bilateral deal would not have the force of a treaty ratified by the US Senate, so Biden or any successor could withdraw from it.
President Joe Biden will begin meetings with G7 leaders in Italy on Thursday after arriving on Wednesday evening
But it would still pose a barrier if Biden’s Republican successor were to retake the White House. It is one of many efforts being considered in Congress to ‘Trump-proof’ elements of the establishment.
It comes after Biden managed to push through a $60 billion measure to help Ukraine after overcoming longstanding opposition from Republican lawmakers in Congress. Trump heads to Capitol Hill on Thursday to meet with Republicans who currently control the House of Representatives and could potentially take control of the Senate in the November elections.
Trump’s tenure in the White House has been accompanied by a furious impeachment clash sparked in part by a division within his administration over withholding military aid to Ukraine amid accusations from Trump allies of corruption in the country.
Moscow launched its latest invasion of Ukraine in 2022, dramatically escalating its 2014 invasion of the Donbas region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet Biden on Thursday
Biden’s visit includes a meeting with Pope Francis on Friday
The president was back in Europe just a day after his son Hunter was found guilty by a Wilmington, Del., jury. on weapons charges
Another deal that emerged from the G7 meetings is an agreement to provide Ukraine with a $50 billion loan amid territorial losses to Russia’s armed forces.
The money will come from interest on $300 million in seized Russian assets – bypassing resistance within the alliance to the use of those funds.
Details were still being worked out and government officials would not confirm earlier reporting on the contours of the deal. But the funds could reach Kiev by the end of the year.
Sullivan told reporters Thursday morning that progress was likely, but he offered no guarantees on Russian government bonds and other issues.
“I think we’re set up for success in that regard… we’ll have to see how the next two days unfold,” he said.
Sullivan did not promise immediate success. He said it would not happen today, saying leaders were “on the brink of a good outcome.”
“I think we’ll have decided the main tentpoles on this,” he said, adding some details still needed to be resolved.
The diplomatic slog through arcane financial architecture comes at a summit where Biden and other G7 leaders will meet in an elegant medieval-style village in Borgo Egnazia (although the local police protecting them complained of dirty water and torn mattresses during the ‘Goddess of the Night’ tour ship that hosted them.
All of Hunter Biden’s children are accompanying the president on the trip, which takes place as the family is still processing Hunter’s guilty verdict and Biden has yet to speak publicly about it.