Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Declares He Lacks Explicit Security Pledge from Partner Nations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says European allies have failed to provide sound guarantees that they will protect his country in the case of a new Russian aggression.
"I am asking this very question to all our partners and I have not received a clear, unambiguous answer yet," he told reporters on Wednesday.
These remarks follow a day after Britain and France signed a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine should a ceasefire agreement to conclude the conflict with Moscow is reached.
However, comprehensive defense assurances 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 involved some three dozen nations that form the so-called Coalition of the Willing, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the two nations would "set up operational bases across Ukraine" to deter future invasion, while French President Emmanuel Macron subsequently indicated thousands of troops may be deployed.
Allies proposed that the US would assume a leading role in monitoring a truce. But the key issue of territorial concessions that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as part of the peace proposals are still being discussed.
Moscow has not yet commented on the announcement made in the city of Paris.
Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a comprehensive military assault of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow now occupies about one-fifth of Ukraine's land.
The President's Evolving Stance
The UK Prime Minister characterized the bilateral declaration as "an essential component of our dedication to stand with Ukraine for the long-term".
He continued: "It paves the way for the legal framework under which allied military personnel could function on Ukraine's territory, protecting Ukrainian airspace and waters, and rebuilding Ukraine's military for the future."
The Ukrainian leader praised that agreement as a "huge step forward".
Twenty-four hours afterward, however, he appeared less optimistic.
"I perceive the determination, the political will, and that the allies are prepared, and the allies are willing to give us strong sanctions, powerful defense assurances," he said when questioned if European countries would come to Ukraine's aid.
"But as long as we don't have such binding security pacts - formally ratified, supported by parliaments, supported by the United States Congress - this crucial issue remains unresolved. And should they materialize, you still have to rely primarily on your inherent capabilities."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
The Paris talks were also notable owing to the attendance of US President Donald Trump's peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
One envoy stated the participating countries "mostly completed" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Recently, Zelensky said a peace deal was "ninety percent complete".
Questions of land and defense pledges have been at the forefront of unresolved issues for negotiators.
The Russian leader has consistently stated that Ukraine's military must pull back from the entirety of the Donbas region or Russia will seize it, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war.
Zelensky has so far ruled out ceding any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could redeploy its forces to an agreed point - but provided that Russia reciprocated the action.
Russian forces currently controls about 75% of the Donetsk oblast, and some nearly all of the neighbouring Luhansk. The two regions form the Donbas industrial heartland.
It has been intensifying attacks against cities in Ukraine - with a focus on power facilities. Russia has also made incremental advances in capturing more Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine has hit back at Russian targets with unmanned aerial vehicles, though with more limited success.
