The official visit of the Volodymyr Zelensky to the United States and his meeting with the U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed the strategic partnership of Ukraine and the United States. Both countries will continue to work together to address shared global challenges, including energy security and diversification, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Joint Statement of the Presidents on the U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership was published on the official website of the President of Ukraine.
Key points of the Joint Statement:
Countering Russian aggression: The United States does not and will never recognize Russia’s purported annexation of Crimea and reaffirms its full support for international efforts, including in the Normandy Format, aimed at negotiating a diplomatic resolution to the Russian-led conflict in eastern Ukraine on the basis of international law, including the UN Charter. The United States supports Ukraine’s efforts to use the Crimea Platform to focus international attention and action on the humanitarian and security costs of Russia’s occupation of Crimea with the aim of peacefully restoring Ukraine’s control over this territory in accordance with international law. The Presidents called on Russia to recommit to the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and engage genuinely in conflict resolution efforts to end the war.
Deepening strategic cooperation in the field of defense: The United States and Ukraine have finalized a Strategic Defense Framework that creates a foundation for the enhancement of U.S.-Ukraine strategic defense and security cooperation and the advancement of shared priorities, including implementing defense and defense industry reforms, deepening cooperation in areas such as Black Sea security, cyber defense, intelligence sharing, and countering Russian aggression.
Supporting Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations: As the United States and Allies reaffirmed in the June 2021 NATO Summit Communique, the United States supports Ukraine’s right to decide its own future foreign policy course free from outside interference, including with respect to Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO. We also remain committed to assisting Ukraine with ongoing reforms.
Security Assistance to Ukraine: The United States is announcing a new $60 million security assistance package, including additional Javelin anti-armor systems and other defensive lethal and non-lethal capabilities, to enable Ukraine to more effectively defend itself against Russian aggression. The United States has committed $2.5 billion in support of Ukraine’s forces since 2014, including more than $400 million this year alone.
Support for reforms in Ukraine: The United States and Ukraine are bound by the universal values that unite the free people of the world: democracy, human rights, the rule of law. With U.S. support, Ukraine is pursuing a reform agenda to transform the country in line with European and Euro-Atlantic principles and practices. In support of Ukraine’s reform efforts, the U.S. government has provided Ukraine with nearly $2 billion in development assistance since 2014 and plans to allocate over $463 million in assistance this year, including for programs focused on democracy, human rights, local governance and decentralization, privatization, and judicial reform.
Climate: The climate crisis has reached a critical point that demands urgent action, which both countries are addressing. The United States and Ukraine intend to bolster collaboration on shared energy and climate goals through a reinvigorated Strategic Energy and Climate Dialogue, which will provide a strong platform to advance energy security objectives, enhance economic ties, and achieve ambitious climate targets.Ukraine and the United States have both reaffirmed their intent to achieve ambitious reductions in their national greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as communicated through our respective Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Ukraine has joined the Agricultural Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate and intends to develop renewable energy in a financially responsible manner.
Energy & Energysecurity: Ukraine and the United States intend to utilize their strategic energy dialogue to address systemic imbalances in the Ukrainian energy system, expand corporate governance reform at state-owned energy companies, increase the attractiveness of Ukraine’s energy industry, and attract the foreign investment needed to achieve energy independence, decarbonization, and clean energy goals.
In addition, the United States and Ukraine continue to oppose Nord Stream 2, which we view as a threat to European energy security. The United States intends to continue using measures envisaged in legislation and energy diplomacy, including through the recent appointment of a senior advisor for energy security, to maintain Ukraine’s transit role and security of supply during this period of energy transition and to prevent the Kremlin’s use of energy as a geopolitical weapon. The U.S. and Ukrainian governments support efforts to increase capacity for gas supplies to Ukraine from diversified sources.
Economic growth & Prosperity: In alignment with Ukraine’s International Monetary Fund program, Ukraine intends to reform state-owned enterprises, protect central bank independence, strengthen financial sector supervision, and create a fair business and investment environment. The United States intends to continue working with Ukraine to support these efforts and promote robust and inclusive economic growth in both the U.S. and Ukrainian economies. The countries have finalized a Memorandum of Understanding on commercial cooperation, designed to promote commercial participation by U.S companies across the Ukrainian economy and by Ukrainian companies across the U.S. economy. The MOU, which may support future transactions in identified sectors, including several key projects under discussion. The initial amount of $3 billion in support from the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) of the United States for these potential transactions may be increased as the pipeline of projects in agribusiness, infrastructure, climate, and energy develops. Finally, the U.S.-Ukraine Trade and Investment Council is holding its 10th meeting this fall to confirm work plans to avoid regulatory barriers, eliminate the use of unlicensed software by Ukrainian government agencies, address other intellectual property issues, and cooperate on labor issues.
Fighting COVID-19: The United States has provided approximately $55 million in COVID-19 related assistance and donated nearly 2.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Ukraine. The United States intends to provide additional assistance to Ukraine, to include cold chain storage support and an additional $12.8 million in COVID-related assistance drawn from the America Rescue Plan Act.
Humanitarian assistance: The ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine has left 3.4 million people in need of humanitarian aid. Since 2014, the United States has provided over $306 million in life-saving assistance to help Ukrainians in need, spanning food, shelter, safe drinking water, and protection for the most vulnerable, including the elderly. The U.S. government will provide an additional $45 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine this year.