Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Declares Absence of Explicit Defense Guarantee from Partner Nations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine's partners in Europe have failed to provide solid assurances that they will protect his country in the case of a new Russian aggression.

"I am asking this very question to every one of our allies and I have not received a clear, unambiguous answer yet," he stated to the press on Wednesday.

His comments come a day after Britain and France signed a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine should a ceasefire agreement to conclude the conflict with Moscow is finalized.

However, full security guarantees have yet to be solidified. The US, which has been leading efforts to halt the offensive, reportedly did not sign such a pledge at discussions held in the French capital on the previous day.

Details of the Paris Talks

Following the negotiations in Paris, which included 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 later said thousands of troops may be sent.

Partner nations suggested that the United States would take the lead in monitoring a truce. But the key issue of territorial concessions that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as part of the peace proposals are still being discussed.

Moscow has thus far remained silent on the declaration made in the city of Paris.

President Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the early months of 2022, and Russian forces 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 support Ukraine for the long-term".

He continued: "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 "significant leap of progress".

Twenty-four hours afterward, however, he seemed more cautious.

"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.

"However, until we lack such security guarantees - legally binding, endorsed by legislatures, backed by the U.S. Congress - this question remains unresolved. And should they materialize, you still have to rely first and foremost on your own strength."

Unresolved Issues and Ongoing Conflict

Negotiations in Paris were also significant 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 peace deal was "ninety percent complete".

Territorial concessions and defense pledges have been at the center of unresolved issues for negotiators.

The Russian leader has consistently stated that Ukraine's military must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, dismissing potential concessions over how to end the war.

Zelensky has so far ruled out relinquishing any land, but has suggested that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an established line - but provided that Russia did the same.

Moscow currently controls 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 - particularly targeting power facilities. Russia has also made slow progress in seizing additional Ukrainian land.

Ukraine has hit back at Russian targets with unmanned aerial vehicles, albeit with varying degrees of effectiveness.