(LibertySons.org) – President Biden has signed the US up to a new security treaty with Ukraine. Biden says the deal will show Russian leader Vladimir Putin that he can’t “wait us out” on support for the Ukrainian defenders. The agreement comes at a crucial time because Russia’s invasion forces are pushing hard right now.
Biden Offers Ten-Year Alliance
On June 13, Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met at the G7 summit in Bari, Italy. Although Ukraine isn’t a member of the G7, Zelenskyy was there to meet the leaders of the free world’s largest economies, who have been financing his war against the Russian troops that invaded his country more than two years ago. This time, though, he wasn’t just arranging aid. He also reached a new security agreement with Ukraine’s biggest supporter — the US.
The new agreement commits the US to support Ukraine for the next ten years. Talking to journalists after the meeting Biden said that sends a message to Putin –- “He cannot divide us. We’re going to stand with Ukraine.” That will be a relief to Zelenskyy because while the US has been his country’s biggest donor of military aid by a long way, that aid has often come with strings attached. For example, until recently, Russia could bombard Ukrainian cities with missile launchers located in its own territory, but Ukraine wasn’t allowed to use US weapons to hit those launchers. Under pressure from NATO leaders, Biden has finally lifted the ban on Ukraine firing American missiles outside its own borders, but he’s also delayed donations of US-made F-16 fighter jets from NATO allies.
Those F-16s will be delivered soon, increasing the pressure on Ukraine. Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrsky says Russia is “well aware” the fighters — which are better than anything Putin’s forces have — are on the way, and the invaders are trying to seize as much territory as possible before the American warplanes tip the balance against them.
Biden believes the message sent by the new agreement will deter Russia. Zelenskyy is more likely to trust the jets and the $50 billion in new funding the G7 agreed to at the summit. Much of that money will come from seized Russian assets.
The summit also saw an array of other weapons promised to Ukraine. Latvia is sending military drones, while Germany plans to convert old Leopard 1 tanks into armored anti-aircraft guns that can destroy Russia’s dangerous attack helicopters.
The US is also sending new supplies of artillery ammunition to replenish Ukraine’s dwindling reserves. Those donations will have a real effect on the battlefield, but so far, Putin seems to be ignoring the new agreement.
~Here’s to Our Liberty!
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