Zelensky Declares Absence of Definitive 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 case of a future Russian attack.
"I am asking this very 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 signed a declaration of intent on stationing forces in Ukraine should a ceasefire agreement to end the war with Russia is agreed.
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 discussions held in the French capital on the previous day.
Outcomes from the Paris Discussions
Following the negotiations in Paris, which involved some 30 countries that form the group termed the 'Coalition of the Willing', British PM Keir Starmer said the UK and France would "set up operational bases across Ukraine" to deter future invasion, while France's President Macron subsequently indicated thousands of troops may be deployed.
Allies proposed that the US would assume a leading role in overseeing any ceasefire. But the central sticking point of ceding land that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as part of the peace proposals are continuing to be negotiated.
The Russian government has not yet commented on the announcement made in the city of Paris.
President Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the early months of 2022, and Moscow currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine's land.
The President's Evolving Stance
The UK Prime Minister characterized the joint statement as "an essential component of our commitment to stand with Ukraine for the foreseeable future".
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 regenerating Ukraine's armed forces for the future."
Zelensky hailed that accord as a "huge step forward".
Twenty-four hours afterward, however, he seemed more cautious.
"I see the will, the political resolve, and that the partners are ready, and the partners are ready to give us robust economic measures, strong security guarantees," he said when asked if European countries would come to Ukraine's aid.
"But as long as we lack such binding security pacts - formally ratified, endorsed by legislatures, backed by the U.S. Congress - this question remains unresolved. And even if they do, you must ultimately depend first and foremost on your inherent capabilities."
Unresolved Issues and Ongoing Conflict
The Paris talks were also significant due to the presence of US President Donald Trump's peace envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff said the participating countries "mostly completed" their work on finalizing security arrangements.
Recently, the President indicated a settlement was "90% ready".
Questions of land and defense pledges have been at the center of outstanding matters for diplomats.
Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's military must withdraw 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 withdraw its troops to an agreed point - but provided that Russia reciprocated the action.
Moscow currently controls about three-quarters of the Donetsk oblast, and some nearly all of the adjacent Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts form the industrial Donbas region.
It has been intensifying attacks against cities in Ukraine - 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, albeit with varying degrees of effectiveness.