Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky States Absence of Explicit Security Pledge from Partner Nations
President Zelensky has stated that European allies have not given him solid assurances 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 clear, unambiguous answer yet," he stated to the press on Wednesday.
These remarks follow a day after the UK and France signed a statement of purpose on stationing forces in Ukraine should a ceasefire agreement to end the war with Russia is agreed.
However, comprehensive defense assurances have not been agreed. The US, which has been leading efforts to end the invasion, was reported to have abstained from signing such a commitment at talks in Paris on Tuesday.
Details of the Paris Talks
After the Paris talks, which involved some 30 countries that form the so-called Coalition of the Willing, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the two nations would "establish military hubs across Ukraine" to prevent any future incursion, while French President Emmanuel Macron later said thousands of troops may be sent.
Allies proposed that the United States would take the lead in overseeing any ceasefire. But the key issue of ceding land that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as a component of the settlement terms are continuing to be negotiated.
The Russian government has not yet commented on the declaration made in the French capital.
President Putin launched a comprehensive military assault of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russian forces now occupies about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Zelensky's Shifting Tone
Sir Keir described the joint statement as "a vital part of our commitment to stand with Ukraine for the foreseeable future".
He added: "It paves the way for the juridical structure under which British, French and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and rebuilding Ukraine's armed forces for the future."
Zelensky hailed that agreement as a "significant leap of progress".
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, strong security guarantees," he said when asked if nations in Europe would defend Ukraine.
"But as long as we don't have such security guarantees - legally binding, endorsed by legislatures, supported by the United States Congress - this crucial issue cannot be answered. And even if they do, you must ultimately depend primarily on your inherent capabilities."
Unresolved Issues and Ongoing Conflict
Negotiations in Paris were also notable due to the attendance of envoys from former President Trump's administration, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
One envoy stated the allies "largely finished" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Last week, the President indicated a settlement was "90% ready".
Territorial concessions and defense pledges have been at the center of unresolved issues for diplomats.
The Russian leader has consistently stated that Ukrainian troops must pull back from the entirety of the Donbas region or Moscow will take control, dismissing potential concessions 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 established line - but only if Russia reciprocated the action.
Moscow now holds about 75% of the Donetsk region, and some nearly all of the adjacent Luhansk region. The two regions constitute the Donbas industrial heartland.
Attacks have been escalating against cities in Ukraine - with a focus on energy infrastructure. Moscow is also achieving incremental advances in capturing more Ukrainian territory.
Ukrainian forces have retaliated at objectives inside Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles, though with more limited success.
