Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Asserts Absence of Clear Security Pledge from European Partners
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says European allies have not given him solid assurances that they will protect his country in the case of a fresh offensive by Russia.
"I am asking this very question to all our partners and I have not received a clear, unambiguous answer yet," he stated to the press on Wednesday.
These remarks follow 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 reached.
However, full security guarantees have not been agreed. The US, which has been spearheading initiatives to halt the offensive, was reported to have abstained from signing such a commitment at discussions held in the French capital on Tuesday.
Outcomes from the Paris Discussions
Following the negotiations in Paris, which included some three dozen nations that comprise the group termed the 'Coalition of the Willing', UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK and France would "establish military hubs across Ukraine" to prevent any future incursion, while France's President Macron subsequently indicated a significant number of soldiers may be sent.
Allies proposed that the US would assume a leading role in monitoring a truce. But the key issue of territorial concessions that Ukraine is being asked to grant to Russia as part of the peace proposals are continuing to be negotiated.
The Russian government has not yet commented on the declaration made in the city of Paris.
Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a comprehensive military assault of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russian forces currently controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
The President's Evolving Stance
The UK Prime Minister characterized the joint statement as "a vital part of our commitment 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 military for the future."
The Ukrainian leader praised that agreement as a "significant leap of progress".
Twenty-four hours afterward, however, he appeared less optimistic.
"I see the will, the political resolve, and that the partners are ready, and the allies are willing to give us robust economic measures, strong security guarantees," he said when asked if European countries would defend Ukraine.
"However, until we lack such security guarantees - legally binding, supported by parliaments, backed by the U.S. Congress - this question remains unresolved. And should they materialize, you still have to rely first and foremost 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, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Witkoff said the allies "largely finished" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Recently, Zelensky said a peace deal was "ninety percent complete".
Territorial concessions and defense pledges have been at the center of outstanding matters for negotiators.
Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's military must pull back from the entirety of the Donbas region 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 suggested that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an agreed point - but only if Russia did the same.
Moscow currently controls about 75% of the Donetsk region, and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts form the industrial Donbas region.
Attacks have been escalating against Ukrainian cities - 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, though with varying degrees of effectiveness.
