Zelensky States He Lacks Definitive Security Pledge from Partner Nations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine's partners in Europe have not given him sound guarantees that they will protect his country in the event of a future Russian attack.
"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.
His comments come a day after the UK and France signed a statement of purpose on deploying troops in Ukraine if a peace deal 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, reportedly did not sign such a pledge at talks in Paris on the previous day.
Details of the Paris Talks
After the Paris talks, which included some 30 countries that comprise the group termed the 'Coalition of the Willing', British PM Keir Starmer said the UK and France would "set up operational bases across Ukraine" to prevent any future incursion, while French President Emmanuel Macron later said a significant number of soldiers may be deployed.
Partner nations suggested 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 thus far remained silent 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.
Zelensky's Shifting Tone
The UK Prime Minister characterized the joint statement as "a vital part of our commitment to stand with Ukraine for the long-term".
He continued: "It paves the way for the juridical structure under which allied military personnel could operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and regenerating 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 come to Ukraine's aid.
"But as long as we lack such binding security pacts - formally ratified, endorsed by legislatures, backed by the U.S. Congress - this crucial issue remains unresolved. And should they materialize, you must ultimately depend first and foremost on your own strength."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
The Paris talks were also notable due to the presence of US President Donald Trump's peace envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff said the participating countries "largely finished" their work on finalizing security arrangements.
Last week, the President indicated a peace deal was "ninety percent complete".
Questions of land and security guarantees have been at the forefront of outstanding matters for diplomats.
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 conclude hostilities.
Zelensky has so far ruled out relinquishing any land, but has suggested that Ukraine could redeploy its forces to an agreed point - but only if Russia reciprocated the action.
Moscow currently controls 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 Ukrainian cities - with a focus on 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, though with varying degrees of effectiveness.
