Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Declares He Lacks Clear Defense Guarantee from European Partners
President Zelensky has stated that European allies have failed to provide solid assurances that they will protect his country in the event of a future Russian attack.
"I am asking this very question to all our partners and thus far, the answer remains elusive a clear, unambiguous answer yet," he stated to the press on Wednesday.
His comments come a day after the UK and France signed a statement of purpose on deploying troops 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 spearheading initiatives to halt the offensive, was reported to have abstained from signing such a commitment at talks in Paris on Tuesday.
Details of the Paris Talks
Following the negotiations in Paris, which included some three dozen nations that comprise 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 thousands of troops may be sent.
Allies proposed that the United States would take the lead in overseeing any ceasefire. But the key issue of ceding land that Ukraine is being asked to grant to Russia as part of the peace proposals are continuing to be negotiated.
Moscow has not yet commented on the announcement made in the city of Paris.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russian forces now occupies about 20% of Ukraine's land.
Zelensky's Shifting Tone
Sir Keir described the bilateral declaration as "a vital part of our dedication to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future".
He continued: "It paves the way for the legal framework under which British, French and partner forces could operate on Ukraine's territory, protecting Ukrainian airspace and waters, and rebuilding Ukraine's military for the years to come."
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 partners are ready, and the partners are ready to give us strong sanctions, powerful defense assurances," he said when questioned if European countries would defend Ukraine.
"But as long as we don't have 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 still have to rely primarily on your own strength."
Unresolved Issues and Ongoing Conflict
The Paris talks were also significant due to the attendance of envoys from former President Trump's administration, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Witkoff said the allies "mostly completed" their work on finalizing security arrangements.
Last week, the President indicated a peace deal was "ninety percent complete".
Territorial concessions and defense pledges have been at the center of unresolved issues for negotiators.
Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's military must withdraw from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Moscow will take control, dismissing potential concessions over how to end the war.
The Ukrainian President has thus far rejected relinquishing any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an agreed point - but only if Russia reciprocated the action.
Moscow now holds about 75% of the Donetsk oblast, and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. 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 seizing additional Ukrainian land.
Ukrainian forces have retaliated at objectives inside Russia with drones, albeit with more limited success.
