U.S.-Ukraine Bilateral Security Agreement
June 21, 2024
On June 13, 2024, President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a 10-year
bilateral security agreement during the G7 summit. (Ukraine has signed bilateral security agreements with
15 countries and, as of June, is negotiating with 16 others.) The agreement is an executive agreement and
does not require congressional approval. Congress may review and shape the agreement’s implementation
through oversight and the use of appropriations and authorization legislation. The agreement identifies
areas of joint defense, economic, and political cooperation. It prioritizes U.S. “long-term” support for
improving Ukraine’s ability to defend its territorial integrity and “Ukraine’s implementation of reforms”
to further its “Euro-Atlantic integration.”
This action follows Congress passing the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024
(Division B of P.L. 118-50), which committed more than $60 billion to support Ukraine and other
countries affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The agreement outlines long-term U.S. policy and
strategy goals toward Ukraine, and the Biden Administration stated it will “work closely with the U.S.
Congress to build on the national security supplemental and develop sustainable levels of assistance to
Ukraine over the long term.”
Agreement Details
According to President Biden, “[the United States’] goal is to strengthen Ukraine’s credible defense and
deterrence capabilities for the long term. A lasting peace for Ukraine must be underwritten by Ukraine’s
own ability to defend itself now and to deter future aggression anytime ... in the future.” The agreement
builds upon existing security partnerships between the United States and Ukraine, including the Strategic
Defense Framework, signed August 31, 2021, and the U.S.-Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership,
signed November 10, 2021.
The agreement has 11 articles laying out areas of focus and cooperation between the United States and
Ukraine, with Articles II-IV detailing practical steps to improve Ukraine’s “credible defense and
deterrence capability” and further “Ukraine’s interoperability with NATO.”
