ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: US President Joe Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky will sign a bilateral security deal Thursday at a G7 summit focused on backing Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion, the White House said.

“Tomorrow, President Biden and President Zelensky will sit down to discuss our strong support for Ukraine now and into the future,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters traveling with Biden to Italy.

“Following that meeting, the leaders will sign a bilateral security agreement, making clear our support will last long into the future.”

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The deal would not include any commitment to use US forces but would involve weapons and assistance for Ukraine, which Washington has backed since the 2022 invasion, said Sullivan.

It was similar to other deals signed between Ukraine and 15 other allies, he added.

“Any lasting peace in Ukraine has to be under its own ability to defend itself,” Sullivan said.

“By signing this, we’ll also be sending Russia a signal of our resolve to Vladimir Putin. He thinks that he can help mask the coalition supporting Ukraine. He’s wrong.”

Kyiv swiftly welcomed news of the deal.

“We have come a long way in our cooperation with the United States, and the entire team has done a great job to make this future agreement possible,” said Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office.