Ukraine and US Begin Talks on Security Agreement, Zelensky Confirms

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday, April 22, that Kyiv and Washington had initiated discussions on a bilateral security cooperation agreement.

He also confirmed that plans to send more long-range missiles to Ukraine's armed forces have been finalized.

Kyiv has signed several 10-year security agreements with NATO countries that outline long-term Western support for Ukraine in the face of a Russian invasion now in its third year.

"Our teams -- Ukraine and the United States -- have started working on a bilateral security agreement," Zelensky said in his evening address on social media, adding that it could be a "truly exemplary" deal.

Zelensky's remarks came after a telephone call with US President Joe Biden, following the US Congress's advancement of a long-stalled package of military aid for Kyiv over the weekend.

"After the call," Zelensky stated, "all the dots have been dotted in the agreements on ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) for Ukraine."

While the agreements signed with NATO countries like Britain, France, and Germany are not mutual defense pacts, they hold significant symbolic importance.

They demonstrate the West's commitment to supporting Ukraine militarily, politically, and financially in the face of the ongoing Russian invasion, now in its third year.

These longer-range missiles, with a maximum range of around 300 kilometers (190 miles), were first delivered to Ukraine last year. The agreement is seen as a significant enhancement of Kyiv's battlefield capabilities.

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Previously, the versions of ATACMS supplied to Ukraine had a range capped at 165 kilometers, due to concerns about supplying powerful weapons that could potentially reach deeper into Russian territory.