Zelensky States Absence of Explicit Defense Guarantee from Allies
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine's partners in Europe have not given him solid assurances that they will protect his country in the case of a fresh offensive by Russia.
"I am asking this very question to every one of our allies and I have not received a clear, unambiguous answer yet," he told reporters on midweek.
These remarks follow a day after the UK and France inked a statement of purpose on deploying troops in Ukraine should a ceasefire agreement to end the war with Russia is reached.
However, full security guarantees have not been agreed. The US, which has been spearheading initiatives to halt the offensive, was reported to have abstained from signing such a pledge at discussions held in the French capital on the previous day.
Outcomes from the Paris Discussions
After the Paris talks, which included some 30 countries that form the so-called Coalition of the Willing, British PM Keir Starmer said the two nations would "establish military hubs across Ukraine" to prevent any future incursion, while France's President Macron subsequently indicated a significant number of soldiers may be deployed.
Allies proposed that the United States would assume a leading role in overseeing any ceasefire. But the central sticking point of ceding land that Ukraine is being asked to grant to Russia as part of the peace proposals are continuing to be negotiated.
The Russian government has not yet commented on the announcement made in the French capital.
President Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the early months of 2022, and Russian forces now occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
The President's Evolving Stance
The UK Prime Minister characterized the joint statement as "a vital part of our dedication to support Ukraine for the long-term".
He continued: "It paves the way for the legal framework under which allied military personnel could operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and rebuilding Ukraine's military for the years to come."
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 resolve, and that the partners are ready, and the allies are willing to give us strong sanctions, powerful defense assurances," he said when questioned if nations in Europe would defend Ukraine.
"But as long as we lack such binding security pacts - legally binding, supported by parliaments, supported by the United States Congress - this question remains unresolved. And even if they do, you still have to rely first and foremost on your inherent capabilities."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
The Paris talks were also significant due to the attendance of envoys from former President Trump's administration, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff said the participating countries "mostly completed" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Last week, Zelensky said a peace deal was "ninety percent complete".
Questions of land and defense pledges have been at the center of unresolved issues for negotiators.
The Russian leader has consistently stated that Ukraine's military must withdraw from the entirety of the Donbas region 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 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 pair of oblasts form the Donbas industrial heartland.
It has been intensifying attacks against Ukrainian cities - with a focus on power facilities. Russia has also made slow progress in capturing more Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine has hit back at Russian targets with drones, though with more limited success.