Zelensky Declares Absence of Clear Defense Guarantee from Partner Nations
President Zelensky has stated that Ukraine's partners in Europe have not given him sound guarantees that they will protect his country in the event of a fresh offensive by Russia.
"I continue to pose this critical question to every one of our allies and I have not received a definitive and straightforward response yet," he told reporters on Wednesday.
These remarks follow a day after the UK and France signed a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine if a peace deal to conclude the conflict with Moscow is agreed.
However, full security guarantees have yet to be solidified. The US, which has been spearheading initiatives to end the invasion, reportedly did not sign such a commitment at talks in Paris on Tuesday.
Outcomes from the Paris Discussions
Following the negotiations in Paris, which included some three dozen nations that form the so-called Coalition of the Willing, British PM Keir Starmer said the two nations 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 key issue of territorial concessions that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as part of the peace proposals are still being discussed.
The Russian government has not yet commented on the declaration made in the French capital.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow now occupies about one-fifth of Ukraine's land.
Zelensky's Shifting Tone
The UK Prime Minister characterized the bilateral declaration as "a vital part of our dedication to stand with Ukraine for the foreseeable future".
He added: "It establishes the pathway for the juridical structure under which allied military personnel could function on Ukraine's territory, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and rebuilding Ukraine's military for the future."
The Ukrainian leader praised that accord as a "significant leap of progress".
A day later, however, he seemed more cautious.
"I perceive the determination, the political resolve, and that the partners are ready, and the partners are ready to give us robust economic measures, powerful defense assurances," he said when asked if European countries would come to Ukraine's aid.
"However, until we don't have such binding security pacts - formally ratified, endorsed by legislatures, backed by the U.S. Congress - this question cannot be answered. And even if they do, you must ultimately depend primarily on your inherent capabilities."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
The Paris talks were also notable owing 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.
Recently, the President indicated a peace deal was "ninety percent complete".
Territorial concessions and defense pledges have been at the forefront of unresolved issues for negotiators.
Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, dismissing potential concessions over how to end the war.
Zelensky has so far ruled out relinquishing any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an agreed point - but only if Russia reciprocated the action.
Moscow now holds about three-quarters of the Donetsk region, and some nearly all of the adjacent Luhansk region. The two regions form the Donbas industrial heartland.
It has been intensifying attacks against cities in Ukraine - particularly targeting power facilities. Moscow is also achieving incremental advances in seizing additional Ukrainian land.
Ukrainian forces have retaliated at objectives inside Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles, though with varying degrees of effectiveness.
