Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky States He Lacks 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 event of a fresh offensive by Russia.
"I continue to pose this critical question to all our partners and thus far, the answer remains elusive a definitive and straightforward response yet," he told reporters on Wednesday.
His comments come a day after Britain and France inked a declaration of intent on stationing forces in Ukraine if a peace deal to conclude the conflict with Moscow 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 pledge at discussions held in the French capital on Tuesday.
Details of the Paris Talks
Following the negotiations in Paris, which involved some three dozen nations that form the so-called Coalition of the Willing, British PM Keir Starmer said the UK and France would "establish military hubs across Ukraine" to prevent any future incursion, while French President Emmanuel Macron later said a significant number of soldiers may be sent.
Partner nations suggested that the US would take the lead in overseeing any ceasefire. But the key issue of territorial concessions that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as a component of the settlement terms are still being discussed.
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 the early months of 2022, and Moscow now occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
The President's Evolving Stance
The UK Prime Minister characterized the joint statement as "a vital part of our commitment to stand with Ukraine for the long-term".
He added: "It establishes the pathway for the juridical structure under which allied military personnel could operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and rebuilding Ukraine's military for the years to come."
Zelensky hailed that agreement as a "huge step forward".
Twenty-four hours afterward, however, he appeared less optimistic.
"I see the will, the political will, and that the partners are ready, and the allies are willing to give us robust economic measures, powerful defense assurances," he said when asked if European countries would come to Ukraine's aid.
"But as long as we lack such security guarantees - legally binding, endorsed by legislatures, supported by the United States Congress - this crucial issue cannot be answered. And even if they do, you must ultimately depend primarily on your own strength."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
The Paris talks were also significant owing 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, the President indicated a settlement was "90% ready".
Questions of land and defense pledges have been at the center of unresolved issues for diplomats.
Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's military must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war.
The Ukrainian President has thus far rejected ceding any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could redeploy its forces to an established line - but provided that Russia reciprocated the action.
Russian forces now holds about 75% of the Donetsk oblast, and some nearly all of the neighbouring Luhansk. The two regions form the industrial Donbas region.
It has been intensifying attacks against cities in Ukraine - with a focus on energy infrastructure. Russia has also made incremental advances in capturing more Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine has hit back at objectives inside Russia with drones, though with varying degrees of effectiveness.
