What do the bilateral agreements already signed with Germany, Sweden and the Baltic countries contain?

The European Union and Ukraine concluded a security agreement on Thursday. A decisive step to ensure lasting aid to Ukraine, which has already signed 17 similar bilateral security agreements, notably with the United States, Japan, and many European countries.

A step towards the “peace and prosperity”, rejoices Volodymyr Zelenski in Brussels, as he has just signed a security agreement with the European Union on Thursday June 27. This pact, which stipulates that the EU will provide lasting aid to Ukraine, comes two days after the launch of negotiations for Ukraine’s accession to the Union of 27.

Since the start of the war, 17 bilateral agreements have already been signed – with the United States, France, Germany, Sweden, Great Britain and Japan. But while Russian troops have launched an offensive in the Kharkiv region and have been trying to seize the city of Vovchansk in the northeast of the country for six weeks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, for whom Western support is essential, is seeking to perpetuate this aid.

Until now, the first supporter behind the United States has been Germany. While the Nordic countries have aligned themselves in a defense strategy by also signing bilateral agreements with kyiv, the Baltic countries are also showing a united front, with the agreements most recently signed by Lithuania and Estonia.

Germany pledges to support Ukraine beyond war

The German Chancellor and the Ukrainian President co-signed an agreement on February 16 in Berlin, concluded for 10 years and qualified “historical” by Olaf Scholtz. This 13-page document provides assistance “as long as necessary”The first part concerns military support: Germany promises to provide weapons and ammunition over the long term, along with modern air defense and artillery equipment. Since the beginning of the war, Berlin has already provided 28 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine, making Germany the second largest contributor after the United States. Germany also commits to training Ukrainian soldiers and providing the necessary assistance for mine clearance. The text also provides for securing energy infrastructure, which is often targeted by Russia.

Part of this agreement also covers the post-war period. There is no question of abandoning Ukraine once a ceasefire has been concluded. Germany is committed to supporting Ukraine in its reconstruction and throughout its process of joining the European Union. It must help the country to equip itself with a modern army, capable of repelling a future Russian offensive. The agreement provides that in the event of a new attack by Moscow, Berlin and kyiv will consult urgently, within 24 hours, to determine the response to be given.

Germany also wants to investigate war crimes committed by Russian troops and force Moscow to make reparations. Russian assets frozen since the start of the conflict could be used to remediate war damage. In return for German promises, Ukraine has committed to continuing its judicial reforms and strengthening the fight against corruption and money laundering.

Nordic countries lined up for Ukraine to absolutely win

Sweden also signed a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine at the end of May. The country has been an early supporter of kyiv, just like its Danish, Norwegian and Finnish neighbors. Stockholm has committed to providing military aid for at least 10 years, “as long as it takes” so that it regains its 1991 borders. Nine billion euros in military aid have already been released to meet needs until 2026: reconnaissance planes, tanks, small combat boats are part of the package. Like Germany, Sweden also participates in the training of Ukrainian soldiers and the maintenance of weapons systems. And the agreement indicates that in the longer term, Sweden is committed, in accordance with international law, to prosecuting Russian officials who allegedly committed war crimes, as well as to supporting Ukraine in reconstruction and reforms. necessary, with a view to joining NATO and the European Union.

Thus Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland are aligned after having signed more or less the same kind of text. Certainly, the five Nordic countries consider the Russian threat as the main source of regional insecurity, and have developed the same strategy towards Ukraine: Kiev absolutely must win, otherwise Russia will continue its imperialist expansion, will test the solidity of NATO in their neighborhood, by attacking the Baltic countries for example. This scenario would tip the entire Nordic region into an active conflict. It is this fear that today guides the countries of the North in their unfailing support for Ukraine.

Baltic countries now advocate Ukraine’s membership in NATO

Lithuania and Estonia have just signed their security agreement with Ukraine, while Latvia did so in April. Latvia, which set up the drone coalition with the United Kingdom, with the aim of supplying one million drones to Ukraine in 2024. For Estonia and Lithuania, it is above all a question of formalizing a unfailing support for Ukraine for more than two years.

The Baltic countries are in fact already doing a lot for Ukraine and this support even began before the outbreak of war on February 24, 2022. A few weeks before, Lithuania was already sending munitions and drones to Ukraine. In the region, support for Ukraine is also political support. The opening of negotiations for membership of the European Union was unanimously welcomed in the three countries. MEPs are scrambling to obtain guarantees of NATO membership for kyiv at the summit in early July in Washington.