Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Asserts Absence of Definitive Defense Guarantee from Allies
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine's partners in Europe have not given him sound guarantees that they will defend Ukraine 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 clear, unambiguous answer yet," he told reporters on Wednesday.
These remarks follow a day after Britain and France signed a statement of purpose on deploying troops in Ukraine should a ceasefire agreement to end the war with Russia is reached.
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 discussions held in the French capital on the previous day.
Outcomes from the Paris Discussions
Following the negotiations in Paris, which included some 30 countries that comprise the so-called Coalition of the Willing, British PM Keir Starmer said the UK and France would "set up operational bases across Ukraine" to deter future invasion, while French President Emmanuel Macron subsequently indicated a significant number of soldiers may be sent.
Partner nations suggested that the US would take the lead in monitoring a truce. But the key issue of territorial concessions that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as a component of the settlement terms are still being discussed.
The Russian government has not yet commented on the declaration made in the French capital.
President Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow now occupies about 20% of Ukraine's land.
The President's Evolving Stance
Sir Keir described the bilateral declaration as "an essential component of our dedication to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future".
He added: "It establishes the pathway for the legal framework under which allied military personnel could function on Ukraine's territory, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and rebuilding Ukraine's armed forces for the future."
The Ukrainian leader praised that agreement as a "huge step forward".
Twenty-four hours afterward, however, he seemed more cautious.
"I see the will, the political resolve, and that the allies are prepared, and the allies are willing to give us strong sanctions, strong security guarantees," he said when questioned if European countries would come to Ukraine's aid.
"But as long as we lack 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 must ultimately depend primarily on your own strength."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
Negotiations in Paris were also significant due to the attendance of US President Donald Trump's peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
One envoy stated the allies "mostly completed" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Recently, Zelensky said a peace deal was "ninety percent complete".
Questions of land and defense pledges have been at the center of unresolved issues for diplomats.
Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukrainian troops must pull back from the entirety of the Donbas region or Moscow will take control, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war.
Zelensky has so far ruled out relinquishing any land, but has suggested 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 oblast, and some nearly all of the adjacent Luhansk region. The two regions constitute the industrial Donbas region.
It has been intensifying attacks against Ukrainian cities - with a focus on power facilities. Russia has also made slow progress in seizing additional Ukrainian land.
Ukraine has hit back at Russian targets with drones, albeit with varying degrees of effectiveness.