Zelensky States Absence of Definitive Defense Guarantee from Partner Nations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says European allies have failed to provide solid assurances that they will defend Ukraine in the event of a fresh offensive by Russia.

"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.

These remarks follow a day after Britain and France inked a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine if a peace deal to conclude the conflict with Moscow is reached.

However, full security guarantees have not been agreed. The US, which has been leading efforts to end the invasion, was reported to have abstained from signing such a pledge at discussions held in the French capital on Tuesday.

Outcomes from the Paris Discussions

After the Paris talks, which included some 30 countries that comprise 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 deter future invasion, while French President Emmanuel Macron later said thousands of troops may be sent.

Allies proposed that the United States would take the lead in monitoring a truce. But the key issue of ceding land that Ukraine is being pressured to offer to Russia as a component of the settlement terms are still being discussed.

Moscow has not yet commented on the declaration 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 one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.

Zelensky's Shifting Tone

The UK Prime Minister characterized the bilateral declaration as "a vital part of our dedication to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future".

He added: "It paves the way for the legal framework 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 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, strong security guarantees," he said when questioned if nations in Europe would come to Ukraine's aid.

"However, until we lack such security guarantees - legally binding, endorsed by legislatures, backed by the U.S. Congress - this crucial issue remains unresolved. And should they materialize, you must ultimately depend primarily on your own strength."

Persistent Challenges and Fighting

Negotiations in Paris were also significant owing to the presence of US President Donald Trump's peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Witkoff said the participating countries "largely finished" their work on finalizing security arrangements.

Recently, the President indicated a peace deal was "ninety percent complete".

Questions of land and defense pledges have been at the forefront of outstanding matters for negotiators.

Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's military must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Moscow will take control, 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 withdraw its troops to an agreed point - but only if Russia reciprocated the action.

Russian forces now holds about three-quarters of the Donetsk region, and some nearly all of the neighbouring Luhansk. The two regions form the Donbas industrial heartland.

Attacks have been escalating against cities in Ukraine - particularly targeting power facilities. Moscow is also achieving incremental advances in capturing more Ukrainian territory.

Ukrainian forces have retaliated at objectives inside Russia with drones, albeit with more limited success.