Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky States He Lacks Explicit Security Pledge from European Partners
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine's partners in Europe have not given him sound guarantees that they will defend Ukraine in the case of a new Russian aggression.
"I am asking this very question to all our partners and thus far, the answer remains elusive a definitive and straightforward response yet," he told reporters on midweek.
His comments come a day after Britain and France inked a declaration of intent on stationing forces in Ukraine should a ceasefire agreement to end the war with Russia is agreed.
However, comprehensive defense assurances have yet to be solidified. The US, which has been leading efforts to halt the offensive, was reported to have abstained from signing such a pledge at talks in Paris on Tuesday.
Outcomes from the Paris Discussions
Following the negotiations in Paris, which included some three dozen nations that comprise the so-called Coalition of the Willing, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK and France would "establish military hubs across Ukraine" to prevent any future incursion, while French President Emmanuel Macron later said 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 territorial concessions that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as part of the peace proposals are continuing to be negotiated.
The Russian government has not yet commented on the declaration made in the French capital.
President Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
The President's Evolving Stance
The UK Prime Minister characterized the joint statement 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 British, French and partner forces could operate on Ukraine's territory, protecting Ukrainian airspace and waters, and rebuilding Ukraine's military for the years to come."
The Ukrainian leader praised that accord 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 partners are ready, and the partners are ready to give us strong sanctions, strong security guarantees," he said when asked if nations in Europe would come to Ukraine's aid.
"But as long as we don't have such security guarantees - formally ratified, endorsed by legislatures, backed by the U.S. Congress - this crucial issue cannot be answered. And even if they do, you still have to rely first and foremost on your inherent capabilities."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
Negotiations in Paris were also notable owing to the presence of US President Donald Trump's peace envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff said the allies "mostly completed" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Last week, Zelensky said a settlement was "ninety percent complete".
Territorial concessions and security guarantees 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, rejecting any compromise over how to conclude hostilities.
Zelensky has so far ruled out ceding any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an agreed point - but only if Russia did the same.
Moscow currently controls about 75% of the Donetsk region, and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts constitute the Donbas industrial heartland.
It has been intensifying attacks against cities in Ukraine - particularly targeting power facilities. Russia has also made 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.