President Biden signed a 10-year security agreement with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Thursday, an effort to signal a long-term American commitment to Ukraine’s future as an independent and sovereign state at a time when the war set off by Russia’s full-scale invasion is deep into its third year. But the accord could easily be upended by the coming American presidential election.
The deal outlines a long-term effort to train and equip Ukraine’s forces, provide more modern weapons and help the Ukrainians build their own self-sustaining military industry that is capable of producing its own arms.
Speaking at the Group of 7 summit in Italy on Thursday, Mr. Biden said the agreement was designed to make Ukraine self-sufficient and put the country on the road to NATO membership. The accord is essentially an executive agreement between two presidents.
“Our goal is to strengthen Ukraine’s credible defense and deterrence capabilities for the long term,” Mr. Biden said. “A lasting peace for Ukraine must be underwritten by Ukraine’s own ability to defend itself now and to deter future aggression.”
The pact is modeled on the kind of long-term security agreements that the United States has with Israel. But the “Israel model” is based on a congressional agreement to provide billions of dollars in aid. The agreement with Ukraine carries a commitment by the Biden administration only to work with Congress on long-term funding.
Given the bitter monthslong wrangling over the $60 billon in aid to Ukraine that Congress passed this spring, there is little appetite for bringing the issue up again until next year. If Mr. Biden were no longer in office, that commitment would mean little.