President Joe Biden signed a 10-year security agreement to back Ukraine just hours after his top political rival criticized sending aid to the embattled nation.
Former President Donald Trump spent Thursday morning on Capitol Hill and said any money sent to the country should instead go to raising salaries for U.S. troops.
“They’re never going to be there for us,” Trump said of Ukraine, according to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
But Biden’s new agreement with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky will last until 2034, far longer than the next presidential term.
“Our goal is to strengthen Ukraine’s credible defense and deterrence capabilities for the long term,” Biden said after signing the agreement. “A lasting peace for Ukraine must be underwritten by Ukraine’s own ability to defend itself now and to deter future aggression any time in the future.”
Administration officials said the agreement is necessary to keep Russian President Vladimir Putin at bay.
“By signing this, we’ll also be sending Russia a signal of our resolve,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters late Wednesday. “If Vladimir Putin thinks that he can outlast the coalition supporting Ukraine, he’s wrong. He just cannot wait us out, and this agreement will show our resolve and continued commitment.”
The agreement also includes commitments from Ukraine on reforms and “end-use monitoring for weapons” provided by the U.S., Sullivan added.
“In deepening cooperation with Ukraine, our government will benefit from Ukraine’s insights and experience, its battlefield innovations, and its lessons learned from the front,” Sullivan said. “Our view is that Ukraine’s security is central to Europe’s security and therefore central to America’s security.”
Biden and Zelensky hosted a joint press conference this afternoon at the 50th Group of Seven summit in Italy.
Despite concerns that continuing aid to Ukraine is escalating tensions with Russia, the White House has only strengthened ties with Zelensky in recent months. The deal to expand long-term support to Kyiv comes after a promise Secretary of State Antony Blinken made to Zelensky in April.
“Ukraine will be a member of NATO,” the top U.S. diplomat said, reversing decades of American foreign policy.
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The House of Representatives passed a package in April that included $60 billion in support for Ukraine, ending months of negotiations over whether the U.S. should continue funding Ukraine’s defenses against the Russian invasion.
Trump’s remarks on Thursday morning were his first visit to Capitol Hill since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. He gave his own remarks this afternoon.