KYIV: A top Ukrainian official says the United States and Ukraine have started discussions to provide security guarantees for Kyiv as pledged by G7 countries during last month’s NATO summit.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff said the US Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine provides a foundation for the development of bilateral agreements.
He added the Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak led the Ukrainian side in the talks.
He emphasized that the US is the first country to start the process and is Ukraine’s largest strategic partner.
The Ukrainian official noted such security commitments will help Ukraine to acquire membership to major world bodies including the EU and NATO and which is the ultimate goal of Kyiv.
He did not mention the venue of the talks but a photo suggests it was the office of the Ukrainian president in Kyiv.
NATO vows to support Ukraine, rules out membership
During the last summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, NATO leaders pledged support to Ukraine but ruled out any chance of membership to the body until the conflict with Russia ends.
Presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak, said the agreement reached in Vilnius was a development which would help to reach other bilateral agreements.
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Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Zelensky has said that Ukrainian forces faced cruel fighting at the frontline.
Earlier, Zelenskiy claimed that Russia’s assaults on port infrastructure demonstrated Russians were intent on creating an international catastrophe” with a crisis in food markets, supplies and prices.
