Ukraine, U.S. may sign security agreement before NATO summit - Stefanishyna

Ukraine and the United States may sign a security agreement before the NATO summit in Washington in July, but the Ukrainian side is focusing on Congress voting for the Ukraine aid package, as it is a matter of survival.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said this in a comment to Ukrinform on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, when asked about the possible signing of the Ukraine-U.S. agreement at the July NATO summit.

"Respective negotiations were held at the level of Deputy Head of the Office of the President Ihor Zhovkva. As you know, Andriy Yermak has been in contact with [U.S. National Security Advisor] Jake Sullivan. That is, from a tactical point of view, the negotiations have been held, and the declaration has been strategically adopted. This decision can be made earlier," Stefanishyna said.

She said the Ukrainian side was now focusing on more urgent decisions that the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian soldiers need.

"We have to survive first, and then think about how to guarantee our safety. Therefore, we are focusing on the decisions to be adopted in March [at the U.S. Congress]. We need to protect Ukrainian cities, we need the Patriots to have shells. And this is a matter of life and death. Therefore, we are concentrating on this. And security guarantees will definitely be signed," she said.

Earlier reports said that the lower house of the U.S. Congress went on vacation, leaving the Ukraine aid package approved by the Senate without consideration.

On February 13, the U.S. Senate approved a bipartisan foreign aid bill that envisages assistance to Ukraine, Israel and other allied countries. The document has yet to be approved by the House of Representatives and signed into law by the president.