Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Declares Absence of Explicit Security Pledge from Allies
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says European allies have failed to provide concrete pledges that they will defend Ukraine in the event of a fresh offensive by Russia.
"I am asking this very question to every one of our allies and I have not received a definitive and straightforward response yet," he stated to the press on midweek.
His comments come a day after Britain and France inked a declaration of intent on stationing forces in Ukraine if a peace deal to end the war with Russia is finalized.
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 talks in Paris on the previous day.
Outcomes from the Paris Discussions
After the Paris talks, which included some 30 countries that form the so-called 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 sent.
Partner nations suggested that the United States would assume a leading role in overseeing any ceasefire. But the key issue of territorial concessions that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as part of the peace proposals are still being discussed.
Moscow has not yet commented on the declaration made in the city of Paris.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow now occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
Zelensky's Shifting Tone
The UK Prime Minister characterized the bilateral declaration as "an essential component of our commitment to support Ukraine for the long-term".
He continued: "It paves the way for the juridical structure under which allied military personnel could function on Ukrainian soil, protecting Ukrainian airspace and waters, and rebuilding Ukraine's military for the future."
The Ukrainian leader praised that agreement as a "huge step forward".
A day later, however, he seemed more cautious.
"I perceive the determination, the political resolve, and that the partners are ready, and the partners are ready to give us strong sanctions, strong security guarantees," he said when questioned if European countries would defend Ukraine.
"But as long as we lack such security guarantees - formally ratified, endorsed by legislatures, supported by the United States Congress - this crucial issue remains unresolved. And should they materialize, you still have to rely first and foremost on your inherent capabilities."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
The Paris talks were also notable due to the attendance of US President Donald Trump's peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Witkoff said the allies "mostly completed" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Last week, the President indicated a peace deal was "ninety percent complete".
Questions of land and defense pledges have been at the center of unresolved issues for diplomats.
The Russian leader has consistently stated that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the entirety of the Donbas region or Russia will seize it, dismissing potential concessions over how to end the war.
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 reciprocated the action.
Russian forces currently controls about 75% of the Donetsk region, and some 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk. The pair of oblasts form the Donbas industrial heartland.
It has been intensifying attacks against Ukrainian cities - with a focus on energy infrastructure. Russia has also made incremental advances in seizing additional Ukrainian land.
Ukraine has hit back at Russian targets with drones, albeit with more limited success.
