Zelensky Asserts Absence of Explicit Defense Guarantee from Partner Nations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine's partners in Europe have not given him solid assurances that they will protect his country in the case of a future Russian attack.
"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 midweek.
These remarks follow a day after the UK and France signed a declaration of intent on stationing forces in Ukraine if a peace deal to end the war with Russia is finalized.
However, full security guarantees have yet to be solidified. The United States, which has been leading efforts to end the invasion, was reported to have abstained from signing such a pledge at discussions held in the French capital on the previous day.
Outcomes from the Paris Discussions
Following the negotiations in Paris, which included some three dozen nations that form the so-called Coalition of the Willing, UK Prime Minister Sir 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.
Allies proposed that the US would take the lead in monitoring a truce. 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.
The Russian government has not yet commented on the declaration made in the French capital.
Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a comprehensive military assault of Ukraine in the early months of 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
The President's Evolving Stance
Sir Keir described the bilateral declaration as "a vital part of our commitment to stand with Ukraine for the long-term".
He added: "It paves the way for the legal framework under which British, French and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and regenerating Ukraine's armed forces for the years to come."
Zelensky hailed 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 allies are prepared, and the partners are ready to give us robust economic measures, powerful defense assurances," he said when questioned if nations in Europe would come to Ukraine's aid.
"However, until we don't have such security guarantees - legally binding, supported by parliaments, backed by the U.S. Congress - this question cannot be answered. And should they materialize, you must ultimately depend primarily on your own strength."
Unresolved Issues and Ongoing Conflict
Negotiations in Paris were also significant due to the attendance of envoys from former President Trump's administration, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff said the participating countries "largely finished" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Recently, Zelensky said a peace deal was "90% ready".
Territorial concessions and security guarantees have been at the center of outstanding matters for negotiators.
Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's military must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Moscow will take control, rejecting any compromise over how to conclude hostilities.
Zelensky has so far ruled out ceding any territory, 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 75% of the Donetsk oblast, and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The two regions constitute the Donbas industrial heartland.
Attacks have been escalating against Ukrainian cities - particularly targeting energy infrastructure. Russia has also made slow progress in capturing more Ukrainian territory.
Ukrainian forces have retaliated at objectives inside Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles, though with more limited success.
