WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the presidents of the United States and Ukraine signed a Bilateral Security Agreement on the sidelines of the G-7 meeting in Italy.
“The Bilateral Security Agreement with Ukraine sends a powerful signal to Vladimir Putin that the United States will stand with Ukraine for the long haul as it defends its territory and its people against unprovoked Russian aggression. While we work to bring Ukraine into the NATO alliance as soon as possible, this agreement guarantees there will be no gap in our commitment to the Ukrainian people, and in helping them consolidate Ukrainian democracy and its fight against corruption. Moreover, it ensures that the United States will have access to the critical intelligence that Ukraine has acquired on the battlefield. I am pleased to see that the United States enters into this commitment in parallel with a growing number of partners and allies.
“Implementation of this commitment will be contingent on continuing congressional support. I will work with colleagues in both parties to ensure that we sustain the strong support we have seen to date. This agreement is a win for Ukraine and a win for the United States of America. I applaud President Biden and President Zelensky and their teams for negotiating this significant agreement.”
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