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Biden reaffirms US support for Ukraine in critical meeting with Zelensky
04:26 – Source: CNN
- US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke Thursday after signing a bilateral security agreement on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy. “We’re going to stand by Ukraine,” Biden said, vowing lasting support for the country’s defense now and in the future.
- The deal lays out a path for the US’ long-term security relationship with Kyiv but could also be undone by future US administrations, according to multiple people familiar with its details.
- Support for Ukraine has been a key topic of the meetings so far. After lengthy and complicated negotiations, G7 leaders have agreed to loan Ukraine money backed by profits from frozen Russian investments, according to a senior US official.
- The summit comes after a congressional fight over additional US funding for Ukraine — something Biden personally has apologized to Zelensky for — and as the president’s 2024 rival Donald Trump is in Washington, DC, meeting with GOP allies.
We’ve wrapped up our live coverage. Scroll through the posts below to catch up on all the news from Biden and Zelensky’s appearance during the G7 summit.
The United States and Ukraine signed a bilateral security pact on the sidelines of the G7 in Italy on Thursday. The deal lays out a path for the US’ long-term security relationship with Kyiv — but could also be undone by future US administrations, according to officials familiar with its details.
The agreement follows months of negotiations between the US and Ukraine. After signing the agreement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden made remarks and answered questions.
Here’s what to know:
- What is included in the deal: The agreement commits the US for 10 years to continued training of Ukraine’s armed forces, more cooperation in the production of weapons and military equipment, the continued provision of military assistance and greater intelligence sharing.
- What Biden said: Biden reiterated the US’ support of Ukraine and said his country will ensure Ukraine can defend itself now and deter potential attacks in the future. He said US air defense system support will continue to focus on Ukraine, and that other countries expecting that same support will have to wait.
- What Zelensky said: Zelensky marked what he called a “truly historic day” after signing the agreement and said it would benefit all countries because Russia is a “real global threat.” The Ukrainian president said the pact will serve as a bridge to Kyiv’s attempt to join NATO. Though the agreement is not binding to future presidents, Zelensky said he thinks future US leaders will continue to support Ukraine. He also said he received assurances from Chinese leadership that they will not supply weapons to Russia
- Russian sanctions: Biden also announced new sanctions on Russia. The measures take aim at foreign financial institutions supporting Russia’s war, restrict Russia’s access to certain US software and information technology services, and target over 300 individuals and entities “whose products and services enable Russia to sustain its war effort,” the US Department of Treasury said. All the G7 leaders, meanwhile, reached an agreement to loan money to Ukraine backed by the profits from frozen Russian investments, an official said.
- The looming US election: The pledge is an “executive agreement” making it less formal than a treaty and not necessarily binding for any future presidents. Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has not explicitly said whether he would continue support for Ukraine if he wins in November, saying only that he would negotiate a quick end to the Russia-Ukraine war without explaining how.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that the bilateral security pact that Ukraine and the United States signed on Thursday will serve as a bridge to Kyiv’s attempt to join NATO.
“It is very important for all Ukrainians and for all Europeans to know that there will be no security deficit in Europe, which tempts the aggressor to war and makes the future uncertain,” he added.
President Joe Biden said that US air defense system support will continue to focus on Ukraine, and that other countries expecting that same support will have to wait.
Some background: The US-made Patriot air defense system that Biden referenced is among the most complex and prized contributions the country has made to Ukraine’s war efforts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has received assurances from Chinese leadership that they will not supply weapons to Russia in their war against Ukraine.
“I had phone conversation with the leader of China, by phone. He said that he will not sell any weapon to Russia,” Zelensky said.
“We’ll see. … If he is respectable person, he will not. Because he gave me (his) word.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States and leaders like President Joe Biden have supported Ukraine in its war against Russia because of their countries’ shared values — something he says he thinks will continue as the US heads into a presidential election this fall.
“They work based on the voice of their people and it is impossible without people,” Zelensky, who was speaking Ukrainian, said of US leaders.
Zelensky and Biden are giving remarks after signing a security agreement between their two countries on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy on Thursday.
The agreement is an “executive agreement,” making it less formal than a treaty and not necessarily binding for any future presidents.
Former President Donald Trump, who is the GOP frontrunner, previously pledged to end the war in Ukraine, though he’s offered no details on how he would do so. “Shortly after I win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled,” Trump said at a New Hampshire campaign event last year, adding in another speech that it would take him “no longer than one day” to settle the war if elected.
US President Joe Biden reaffirmed his support for his son, Hunter Biden, in the first in-person comments the president has made since his son’s conviction on federal gun charges on Tuesday.
Biden said he would not pardon his son, restating a commitment he made last week, before Hunter Biden was convicted.
At the end of the news conference, Biden also responded “no” to a shouted question asking whether he would consider commuting his son’s sentence. Hunter Biden has not yet received his sentence.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky marked what he called a “truly historic day” after signing a bilateral security pact between his country and the United States.
“We have signed the strongest agreement within Ukraine and the US since our independence,” the president said at a news conference with US President Joe Biden. The world leaders are gathered for the G7 summit in Italy.
Zelensky said the agreement benefits everyone because Russia is a “real global threat.”
The Ukrainian president thanked Biden and Americans listening at home — comments that come after a congressional fight over additional US funding for Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden on Thursday said the US remains steadfast in its support of Ukraine, as he attends the G7 Summit in Italy seeking to shore up American alliances.
Russia’s war, Biden said after signing a long-term security deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has been a “test for the world.”
“The United States, the G7 and countries around the world have consistently answered that question by saying yes we will. We will say it again … we’re going to stand with Ukraine.”
US President Joe Biden addressed reporters after signing a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine on Thursday.
During a joint news conference on the sidelines of the G7 summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden said the US and other countries signed security agreements so that Ukraine can defend itself now and deter potential attacks in the future.
US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are speaking in a joint news conference after signing a bilateral security agreement on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Italy.
The deal lays out a path for the US’ long-term security relationship with Kyiv but could also be undone by future US administrations, according to senior US officials.
The agreement follows months of negotiations between the US and Ukraine and is expected to commit the US for 10 years to continued training of Ukraine’s armed forces, more cooperation in the production of weapons and military equipment, the continued provision of military assistance and greater intelligence sharing.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the Group of Seven countries to draw up a clear plan for Ukraine’s recovery after the war.
“We need a clear plan for the recovery, similar to the Marshall Plan for Europe after the war,” Zelensky said, referencing the historic plan between the US and Europe that helped reconstruct the devastated continent after World War II.
The Ukrainian president called on the group to agree on a recovery plan “in time for the NATO summit in Washington,” which will take place in early July.
NATO defense ministers are expected to finalize an agreement Friday that will give the alliance greater control over security assistance and training for Ukraine’s military.
Some officials say the agreement is meant to give Europe greater responsibility over the aid amid uncertainty over the outcome of the US presidential election this fall.
The possibility that former President Donald Trump, who has long been skeptical of providing US military support to NATO and Europe, could win the election “is a huge part” of why NATO is moving forward with the consolidation plan, said one official familiar with the discussions.
It is also a way to give Europe more responsibility over the training and equipping of Ukraine, as the extent of the US’ commitment to supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia post-November remains unclear, the official said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the intent in a news conference Thursday, saying NATO provides “more than 99% of all military support to Ukraine … so it makes sense that NATO takes on a greater role in these efforts.”
CNN previously reported the options around ensuring long-term support for Ukraine, which one senior European diplomat described at the time as “future-proofing.”
The announcement comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends the G7 summit in Italy, where he is expected to sign bilateral security agreements with the US and Japan, and speak alongside Biden soon.
The US and Ukraine are expected to sign a bilateral security pact on the sidelines of the G7 in Italy on Thursday, multiple people familiar with the matter told CNN, in a deal that lays out a path for the US’ long-term security relationship with Kyiv but that could also be undone by future US administrations.
The agreement follows months of negotiations between the US and Ukraine and is expected to commit the US for 10 years to continued training of Ukraine’s armed forces, more cooperation in the production of weapons and military equipment, the continued provision of military assistance and greater intelligence sharing.
But the pledge is expected to be an “executive agreement,” the sources said, making it less formal than a treaty and not necessarily binding for any future presidents.
Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has not explicitly said whether he would continue support for Ukraine if he wins in November, saying only that he would negotiate a quick end to the Russia-Ukraine war without explaining how. He has also pushed European countries to contribute more to their own defense and said he’d “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” if Europe didn’t increase its defense funding.
The US-Ukraine agreement does not make a specific monetary pledge to support Ukraine’s defense, two of the sources familiar with the agreement said. An annex in the agreement will lay out how the Biden administration plans to work with Congress on the implementation of the security commitments, one of the sources said, specifically the long-term funding that will be needed to support Ukraine’s defense.
Keep reading here about the agreement.
President Joe Biden touted a $60 billion investment by the United States in global infrastructure during a roundtable event at the G7 in Italy on Thursday.
Appearing alongside the other G7 leaders during a roundtable event, Biden spoke mostly off notecards. The president thanked his Italian host, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in particular.
“All told, I’m proud to announce the United States has mobilized more than $60 billion in investments around the world thus far, that’s double where we were last year,” Biden said.
The initiative was launched during the 2022 G7 summit at Schloss Elmau, Germany – a move to better position the US and its allies to compete with China in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.
Greeting Group of Seven leaders in a sumptuous Puglia resort, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni looked happy and at ease. As she hosts the three-day G7 summit, Meloni has every reason to enjoy the moment. Those shaking her hands, however, face uncertainty or impending elections that could toss them from office completely.
Meloni, whose political roots grew from a fascist-inspired party, has none of those concerns. Her Brothers of Italy party resoundingly won last week’s European parliamentary elections in Italy with 28.8% of the vote. This firm standing is making her political kryptonite right now.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen – the first to meet Meloni at the G7 – needs the Italian leader to stay out of her way to secure a second presidency.
US President Joe Biden – who showed up late and looking a trifle out of sorts – faces a big political challenge in November against expected challenger Donald Trump, whose politics are much closer to Meloni’s than Biden’s.
British Prime Minster Rishi Sunak’s Conservative party is about to be trounced in UK elections on July 4, and French President Emmanuel Macron has called snap parliamentary elections for June 30, following far-right successes in the European vote.
Japan’s Fumio Kishida is battling a scandal in his own party. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is unpopular in Canada, which will vote by next year at the latest. And German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who fared badly in the EU poll, will also face elections in 2025.
Meloni may well be greeting a radically different set of G7 leaders the next time they all meet.
The Russian foreign ministry has warned that leaders from the Group of Seven countries will face “painful” retaliatory measures following their decision to loan money to Ukraine using profits from frozen Russian investments.
The agreement to provide Ukraine with $50 billion from Russian assets “will not lead the West to anything good,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during a news conference in Moscow on Thursday.
Zakharova called the agreement an “illegal initiative” that “threatens to completely unbalance the financial system and create cataclysmic crises.”
“There is enough European property and money in Russia … and inevitable retaliatory measures will be extremely painful for Brussels,” she said.
More on the agreement: The loan will be drawn from funds frozen by Western leaders in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While just $3 billion in frozen funds is located in US banks, a much larger share, adding up to hundreds of billions of dollars, is located in banks in Europe.
Negotiators have focused on a loan amount of about $50 billion.
The loan is expected to be delivered by the end of 2024, which would ensure the money would get to Ukraine before a potential change in US presidents. President Joe Biden is facing off against former President Donald Trump in November’s US presidential election, and Trump has refused to commit to sending additional funding to Ukraine.
CNN’s Betsy Klein and Kayla Tausche contributed to this report.
US President Joe Biden pushed to keep language about reproductive rights in a G7 leaders statement after the summit host, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, sought to strip some language from the document, according to American officials.
Biden worked with other G7 leaders to ensure abortion and reproductive rights remained in the final statement, according to diplomats familiar with the matter.
“The president felt very strongly that we needed to have at the very least the language that references what we did in Hiroshima on women’s health and reproductive rights,” a senior US administration official said, referring to last year’s G7 summit in Japan.
In that document, leaders reiterated their support for “access to safe and legal abortion and post abortion care.”
It also expressed “strong concern about the rollback of women’s and girls’ rights.”
Remember: The G7, or Group of Seven, is made up of allied leaders from some of the world’s largest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US.
President Joe Biden is leading the world’s richest democracies in sending a beefed-up message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the West will not forsake Ukraine despite political shocks casting doubts over its commitment.
Biden meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Italy on the sidelines of the G7 summit Thursday, aiming to personally reinforce a promise he spelled out last week on Normandy battlefields where fascism began to crack 80 years ago.
“We will not walk away, because if we do, Ukraine will be subjugated and it will not end there,” Biden said surrounded by the last surviving US veterans of D-Day and the graves of more than 9,000 of their fallen comrades. “Ukraine’s neighbors will be threatened. All of Europe will be threatened. … The autocrats of the world are watching closely to see what happens in Ukraine.”
Yet Biden’s undertaking will come up against growing concerns in Europe that he will merely be an interregnum between two Donald Trump administrations. The ex-president’s term that ended in 2021 shattered decades-old certainties that the United States will be a stabilizing force in transatlantic affairs and will always secure Europe’s security. And the “autocrats of the world” name checked by Biden will no doubt be watching on Thursday when Trump demonstrates his lock on the Republican Party by meeting GOP House members and senators on Capitol Hill.
Read more about Biden’s efforts to assure autocrats the West will not sacrifice Ukraine.
President Joe Biden is not expected to attend Thursday’s dinner for Group of Seven leaders in Italy, the White House said.
Asked by reporters about the president’s decision aboard Air Force One on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president will have a “jam-packed two days” and that reporters should not “read too much” into the president’s choice not to attend.
The president arrived in Italy late Wednesday after an almost eight-hour flight, and this week’s summit comes on the heels of a trip to France last week for the anniversary of D-Day and for a state visit in Paris.
It’s at least the fourth time, per CNN’s count, that the president will skip or leave early from an official dinner with other world leaders. In 2022, the president did not attend the G20 dinner in Bali.
In 2023, the president left early from the G7 dinner in Hiroshima and returned to his hotel to receive a briefing from his debt ceiling negotiation team. The president also skipped a NATO summit dinner in Lithuania in 2023.
Biden, the oldest sitting US president, is 81 years old and has faced questions and criticism over whether he is “too old” to run for reelection.
A 59% majority of Americans see both Biden and former President Donald Trump as too old for another term as president, according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll released earlier this year.