Ukraine and the EU Finalise Security Guarantee Text and Agree on Upcoming Signing
Ukraine and the EU have finalised the text of the security agreement and agreed to sign it in the near future. On behalf of the President of Ukraine and the Head of the Presidential Office, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva held the final round of negotiations on a security agreement with the EU with Charles Fries, Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service for Peace, Security and Defence, the Presidential Office of Ukraine website reports.
The security agreement with the EU will be concluded in pursuance of the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, which the European Union, together with the G7 countries, approved in Vilnius on 12 July 2023.
In the draft security agreement, the EU promises to continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine, help with military training, demining, defence sector reforms, cooperate in countering hybrid threats and cyberattacks, and assist with reconstruction.
For their part, European officials have stressed that the agreement is not tantamount to collective defence within NATO, but rather a commitment to provide Ukraine with weapons and other assistance to strengthen its own security and deter any future invasion.
Currently, Ukraine has signed security agreements with 17 countries and is preparing to sign the same document with ten more.
On 12 January 2024, Ukraine signed the first such agreement with the United Kingdom.
On 16 February, President Zelenskyy signs two more agreements on security guarantees for Ukraine with Germany and France.
On 23 February, Ukraine and Denmark sign an agreement on security cooperation and long-term support between the two countries.
On 24 February 2024, Ukraine signed bilateral security agreements with Italy and Canada.
On 1 March, Ukraine and the Netherlands signed a bilateral security agreement in Kharkiv.
On 3 April, an agreement was signed with Finland.
On 11 April, Ukraine and Latvia signed a security agreement.
On 27 May, a similar document was signed with Spain.
28 May - Belgium signs a security agreement with Ukraine.
On 31 May, Ukraine signed security agreements with three countries at once - Sweden, Norway and Iceland.
On 13 June, on the sidelines of the G7 summit, Ukraine signs bilateral security agreements with Japan and the United States.