Zelensky Declares Absence of Explicit Security Pledge from Allies
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says European allies have not given him concrete pledges that they will defend Ukraine in the event of a fresh offensive by Russia.
"I continue to pose this critical question to all our partners and I have not received a definitive and straightforward response yet," he stated to the press on midweek.
These remarks follow a day after Britain and France inked a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine should a ceasefire agreement to conclude the conflict with Moscow is reached.
However, full security guarantees have not been agreed. The United States, which has been spearheading initiatives to end the invasion, reportedly did not sign such a commitment at talks in Paris on the previous day.
Details of the Paris Talks
After the Paris talks, which involved some 30 countries that comprise the group termed the 'Coalition of the Willing', British PM 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.
Allies proposed that the United States would take the lead in overseeing any ceasefire. But the key issue of territorial concessions that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as a component of the settlement terms are continuing to be negotiated.
The Russian government has not yet commented on the announcement made in the French capital.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the early months of 2022, and Moscow currently controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
The President's Evolving Stance
Sir Keir described 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 Ukraine's territory, protecting Ukrainian airspace and waters, and rebuilding Ukraine's military for the years to come."
Zelensky hailed that accord 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, strong security guarantees," he said when questioned if European countries would come to Ukraine's aid.
"But as long as we don't have such security guarantees - formally ratified, endorsed by legislatures, supported by the United States Congress - this question cannot be answered. And even if they do, you must ultimately depend primarily on your own strength."
Unresolved Issues and Ongoing Conflict
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 "largely finished" their work on finalizing security arrangements.
Recently, Zelensky said a peace deal was "90% ready".
Questions of land and security guarantees have been at the center of unresolved issues for diplomats.
The Russian leader has consistently stated that Ukraine's military must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war.
The Ukrainian President has thus far rejected relinquishing any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could redeploy its forces to an established line - but only if Russia did the same.
Russian forces now holds about three-quarters of the Donetsk region, and some 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk. The two regions constitute the industrial Donbas region.
It has been intensifying attacks against cities in Ukraine - with a focus on power facilities. Moscow is also achieving incremental advances in capturing more Ukrainian territory.
Ukrainian forces have retaliated at objectives inside Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles, though with more limited success.