LONDON

After signing a landmark 10-year bilateral security agreement with the US during the G7 summit in Italy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Thursday said this a "historic day." 

Zelenskkyy and US President Joe Biden held a joint press conference after signing the deal, marking a significant step in the ongoing efforts to bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

Calling Russia a "real global threat," he said: "This is an agreement on steps to guarantee sustainable peace and therefore it benefits everyone in the world."

He also underlined that the deal is a "bridge" to Ukraine’s membership in NATO.

Biden emphasized that a lasting peace for Ukraine is fundamentally tied to the nation's ability to defend itself against current threats and to deter any future aggression.

"Lasting peace for Ukraine must be underwritten by Ukraine’s ability to defend itself now and to deter future aggression anytime in the future," he said.

The announcement comes amid ongoing discussions among Western leaders about how to ensure a proposed $50 billion loan to Ukraine remains secure against potential policy shifts, particularly in light of the possibility of a future administration led by former President Donald Trump, who has previously expressed skepticism about US involvement in Ukraine.

Ukraine has already signed bilateral security treaties with 16 other countries, namely the UK, Germany, Iceland, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Belgium, Latvia, Finland, Italy, France, Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands.

The agreements came as the G7 declared during a NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius last July that it is starting negotiations with Kyiv to formalize its "enduring support" for Ukraine through "bilateral security commitments and arrangements."