Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky States He Lacks Clear Security Pledge from Partner Nations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine's partners in Europe have not given him sound guarantees that they will defend Ukraine in the event of a future Russian attack.
"I am asking this very question to every one of our allies and I have not received a definitive and straightforward response yet," he stated to the press on midweek.
These remarks follow a day after Britain and France inked a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine if a peace deal to conclude the conflict with Moscow is reached.
However, full security guarantees have yet to be solidified. The US, which has been spearheading initiatives to halt the offensive, was reported to have abstained from signing such a commitment at talks in Paris on the previous day.
Outcomes from the Paris Discussions
Following the negotiations in Paris, which included some 30 countries that form the group termed the 'Coalition of the Willing', British PM Keir Starmer said the UK and France would "set up operational bases across Ukraine" to deter future invasion, while French President Emmanuel Macron later said a significant number of soldiers may be sent.
Partner nations suggested that the US would assume a leading role in monitoring a truce. But the central sticking point of ceding land that Ukraine is being asked to grant to Russia as a component of the settlement terms are continuing to be negotiated.
The Russian government has not yet commented on the announcement made in the city of Paris.
President Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine's land.
The President's Evolving Stance
The UK Prime Minister characterized the bilateral declaration as "a vital part of our dedication to stand with Ukraine for the long-term".
He added: "It paves the way for the legal framework under which allied military personnel could function on Ukrainian soil, protecting Ukrainian airspace and waters, and rebuilding Ukraine's armed forces for the years to come."
The Ukrainian leader praised that accord as a "huge step forward".
Twenty-four hours afterward, however, he appeared less optimistic.
"I see the will, the political will, and that the allies are prepared, and the allies are willing to give us robust economic measures, powerful defense assurances," he said when questioned if European countries would defend Ukraine.
"However, until we don't have such security guarantees - formally ratified, endorsed by legislatures, supported by the United States Congress - this crucial issue remains unresolved. And should they materialize, you still have to rely primarily on your own strength."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
Negotiations in Paris were also notable owing to the attendance of envoys from former President Trump's administration, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Witkoff said the participating countries "mostly completed" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Last week, Zelensky said a peace deal was "90% ready".
Questions of land and defense pledges have been at the forefront of unresolved issues for diplomats.
Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's military must withdraw from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, rejecting any compromise over how to conclude hostilities.
Zelensky has so far ruled out relinquishing any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could redeploy its forces to an agreed point - but provided that Russia did the same.
Russian forces now holds about 75% of the Donetsk oblast, and some nearly all of the neighbouring Luhansk. The two regions form the Donbas industrial heartland.
Attacks have been escalating against Ukrainian cities - particularly targeting power facilities. Russia has also made incremental advances in seizing additional Ukrainian land.
Ukraine has hit back at objectives inside Russia with drones, albeit with varying degrees of effectiveness.
