Zelensky States Absence of Definitive Defense Guarantee from European Partners
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine's partners in Europe have not given him 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 clear, unambiguous answer yet," he told reporters on midweek.
These remarks follow a day after Britain and France inked a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine if a peace deal to conclude the conflict with Moscow is finalized.
However, comprehensive defense assurances have not been agreed. The United States, 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.
Outcomes from the Paris Discussions
Following the negotiations in Paris, which involved some 30 countries that comprise the so-called 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 French President Emmanuel Macron subsequently indicated a significant number of soldiers may be deployed.
Allies proposed that the United States would take the lead 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 thus far remained silent on the declaration made in the French capital.
President Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow now occupies 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 long-term".
He added: "It establishes the pathway for the juridical structure under which allied military personnel could function on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and rebuilding Ukraine's armed forces for the future."
The Ukrainian leader praised that agreement as a "huge step forward".
A day later, however, he seemed more cautious.
"I see the will, the political will, and that the allies are prepared, and the allies are willing to give us strong sanctions, strong security guarantees," he said when questioned if European countries would come to Ukraine's aid.
"However, until we don't have such security guarantees - formally ratified, endorsed by legislatures, backed by the U.S. Congress - this crucial issue remains unresolved. And even if they do, you still have to rely first and foremost on your own strength."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
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 allies "largely finished" their work on finalizing security arrangements.
Recently, Zelensky said a settlement 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 pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Moscow will take control, dismissing potential concessions 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 75% of the Donetsk oblast, and some nearly all of the adjacent Luhansk region. The two regions form the industrial Donbas region.
Attacks have been escalating against cities in Ukraine - with a focus on power facilities. Russia has also made incremental advances in capturing more Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine has hit back at objectives inside Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles, albeit with more limited success.
