Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Declares Absence of Clear Security Pledge from Partner Nations
President Zelensky has stated that European allies have not given him concrete pledges that they will protect his country in the event of a new Russian aggression.
"I am asking this very question to all our partners and I have not received a definitive and straightforward response yet," he told reporters on midweek.
These remarks follow a day after the UK and France signed a statement of purpose on stationing forces in Ukraine if a peace deal to conclude the conflict with Moscow is finalized.
However, full security guarantees have not been agreed. The United States, which has been leading efforts to halt the offensive, was reported to have abstained from signing such a commitment at discussions held in the French capital on the previous day.
Details of the Paris Talks
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 UK and France would "establish military hubs across Ukraine" to deter future invasion, while France's President Macron later said a significant number of soldiers may be deployed.
Partner nations suggested that the US would take the lead in monitoring a truce. But the central sticking point of ceding land that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as a component of the settlement terms are still being discussed.
Moscow has thus far remained silent on the declaration made in the French capital.
Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the early months of 2022, and Moscow now occupies about 20% of Ukraine's land.
The President's Evolving Stance
Sir Keir described the bilateral declaration as "a vital part of our dedication to stand with Ukraine for the long-term".
He continued: "It establishes the pathway for the legal framework under which allied military personnel could function on Ukrainian soil, protecting Ukrainian airspace and waters, and regenerating Ukraine's armed forces for the years to come."
Zelensky hailed that accord as a "significant leap of progress".
A day later, however, he seemed more cautious.
"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 European countries would defend Ukraine.
"However, until we don't have such security guarantees - formally ratified, supported by parliaments, backed by the U.S. Congress - this question remains unresolved. And even if they do, you must ultimately depend primarily on your own strength."
Unresolved Issues and Ongoing Conflict
The Paris talks were also significant owing to the attendance of envoys from former President Trump's administration, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
One envoy stated the participating countries "mostly completed" their work on finalizing security arrangements.
Recently, Zelensky said a peace deal was "ninety percent complete".
Questions of land and defense pledges have been at the forefront of outstanding matters for negotiators.
Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's military must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Moscow will take control, rejecting any compromise over how to conclude hostilities.
The Ukrainian President has thus far rejected relinquishing any land, but has suggested that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an established line - but provided that Russia did the same.
Russian forces currently controls about three-quarters of the Donetsk oblast, and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts constitute the industrial Donbas region.
It has been intensifying attacks against cities in Ukraine - particularly targeting energy infrastructure. Moscow is also achieving incremental advances in capturing more Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine has hit back at objectives inside Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles, albeit with more limited success.
