Zelensky States Absence of Definitive Security Pledge from European Partners
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says European allies have not given him concrete pledges that they will protect his country in the event of a new Russian aggression.
"I am asking this very question to every one of our allies and I have not received a definitive and straightforward response yet," he told reporters on Wednesday.
His comments come a day after Britain and France signed a declaration of intent on stationing forces in Ukraine if a peace deal to conclude the conflict with Moscow is agreed.
However, comprehensive defense assurances have not been agreed. The United States, 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.
Details of the Paris Talks
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 "establish military hubs across Ukraine" to prevent any future incursion, while France's President Macron later said a significant number of soldiers may be sent.
Partner nations suggested that the United States would take the lead in monitoring a truce. But the central sticking point of territorial concessions that Ukraine is being asked to grant to Russia as a component of the settlement terms are still being discussed.
The Russian government has not yet commented on the announcement made in the French capital.
President Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the early months of 2022, and Moscow now occupies about 20% of Ukraine's land.
Zelensky's Shifting Tone
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 juridical structure under which allied military personnel could function on Ukrainian soil, protecting Ukrainian airspace and waters, and rebuilding Ukraine's armed forces for the years to come."
The Ukrainian leader praised that accord as a "significant leap of progress".
Twenty-four hours afterward, however, he appeared less optimistic.
"I perceive the determination, 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 asked if European countries would defend Ukraine.
"But as long as we don't have such binding security pacts - legally binding, endorsed by legislatures, backed by the U.S. Congress - this question cannot be answered. And even if they do, you must ultimately depend primarily on your inherent capabilities."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
The Paris talks were also notable due to the presence of envoys from former President Trump's administration, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Witkoff said the allies "largely finished" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Recently, the President indicated a settlement was "ninety percent complete".
Territorial concessions and security guarantees have been at the forefront 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 Russia will seize it, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war.
The Ukrainian President has thus far rejected relinquishing any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could redeploy its forces to an agreed point - but only if Russia reciprocated the action.
Russian forces now holds about three-quarters of the Donetsk region, and some 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk. The pair of oblasts constitute the Donbas industrial heartland.
Attacks have been escalating against Ukrainian cities - particularly targeting power facilities. 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.
