Zelensky Asserts Absence of Explicit Security Pledge from European Partners
President Zelensky has stated that Ukraine's partners in Europe have failed to provide solid assurances that they will protect his country in the event of a new Russian aggression.
"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.
These remarks follow a day after the UK and France signed a statement of purpose on stationing forces in Ukraine if a peace deal to conclude the conflict with Moscow is finalized.
However, comprehensive defense assurances have not been agreed. The US, which has been spearheading initiatives to end the invasion, was reported to have abstained from signing such a commitment at discussions held in the French capital on Tuesday.
Details of the Paris Talks
After the Paris talks, which involved some 30 countries that form the group termed the '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 central sticking point of ceding land that Ukraine is being asked to grant to Russia as a component of the settlement terms are still being discussed.
The Russian government has thus far remained silent 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 bilateral declaration as "a vital part of our commitment to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future".
He added: "It establishes the pathway for the legal framework under which British, French and partner forces could function on Ukraine's territory, protecting Ukrainian airspace and waters, and rebuilding Ukraine's military for the years to come."
Zelensky hailed that agreement as a "significant leap of progress".
A day later, however, he appeared less optimistic.
"I perceive the determination, the political resolve, and that the allies are prepared, and the partners are ready to give us robust economic measures, strong security guarantees," he said when asked if nations in Europe would defend Ukraine.
"However, until we lack such security guarantees - legally binding, endorsed by legislatures, backed by the U.S. Congress - this crucial issue cannot be answered. And even if they do, you must ultimately depend primarily on your inherent capabilities."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
Negotiations in Paris were also notable due to the presence of US President Donald Trump's peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Witkoff said the allies "mostly completed" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Last week, the President indicated a settlement was "90% ready".
Territorial concessions and defense pledges have been at the forefront of outstanding matters for negotiators.
Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the entirety of the Donbas region 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.
Moscow now holds about three-quarters 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 Ukrainian cities - with a focus on energy infrastructure. Moscow is also achieving slow progress in capturing more Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine has hit back at objectives inside Russia with drones, albeit with more limited success.