Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Declares Absence of Clear Security Pledge from Partner Nations
President Zelensky has stated that Ukraine's partners in Europe have failed to provide solid assurances that they will defend Ukraine in the event of a future Russian attack.
"I continue to pose this critical question to all our partners and thus far, the answer remains elusive a clear, unambiguous answer yet," he stated to the press on midweek.
His comments come a day after the UK and France signed a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine should a ceasefire agreement to end the war with Russia is agreed.
However, full security guarantees have not been agreed. The US, which has been leading efforts to halt the offensive, was reported to have abstained from signing 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 form the group termed the 'Coalition of the Willing', UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK and France would "set up operational bases across Ukraine" to deter future invasion, while French President Emmanuel Macron later said thousands of troops may be sent.
Partner nations suggested that the United States would take the lead in monitoring a truce. But the key issue of ceding land that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as a component of the settlement terms are continuing to be negotiated.
Moscow has not yet commented on the declaration made in the French capital.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a comprehensive military assault of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russian forces now occupies about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Zelensky's Shifting Tone
The UK Prime Minister characterized the joint statement as "an essential component of our dedication to support Ukraine for the long-term".
He continued: "It establishes the pathway for the legal framework under which allied military personnel could operate on Ukrainian soil, protecting Ukrainian airspace and waters, and rebuilding Ukraine's armed forces 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 allies are prepared, and the allies are willing to give us robust economic measures, powerful defense assurances," he said when asked if nations in Europe would defend Ukraine.
"However, until we lack such security guarantees - legally binding, supported by parliaments, supported by the United States Congress - this question remains unresolved. And should they materialize, you must ultimately depend primarily on your own strength."
Unresolved Issues and Ongoing Conflict
The Paris talks were also significant owing to the presence of envoys from former President Trump's administration, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff said the allies "largely finished" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Last week, Zelensky said a peace deal was "90% ready".
Questions of land and security guarantees have been at the center of outstanding matters 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, dismissing potential concessions over how to conclude hostilities.
The Ukrainian President has thus far rejected relinquishing any land, but has suggested that Ukraine could redeploy its forces to an agreed point - but only if Russia reciprocated the action.
Russian forces now holds about 75% of the Donetsk oblast, and some nearly all of the neighbouring Luhansk. The pair of oblasts constitute the Donbas industrial heartland.
It has been intensifying attacks against cities in Ukraine - with a focus on energy infrastructure. Russia has also made slow progress in seizing additional Ukrainian land.
Ukrainian forces have retaliated at Russian targets with drones, albeit with more limited success.
