Zelensky States He Lacks Clear Security Pledge from Partner Nations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine's partners in Europe have not given him sound guarantees that they will protect his country 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 midweek.

These remarks follow 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 agreed.

However, full security guarantees have yet to be solidified. The US, which has been spearheading initiatives to halt the offensive, reportedly did not sign such a pledge at talks in Paris on Tuesday.

Details of the Paris Talks

Following the negotiations in Paris, which included some 30 countries that comprise the group termed the '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 France's President Macron later said thousands of troops may be sent.

Partner nations suggested that the US would assume a leading role in overseeing any ceasefire. But the central sticking point of ceding land that Ukraine is being asked to grant to Russia as part of the peace proposals are still being discussed.

Moscow has not yet commented on the declaration made in the city of Paris.

President Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the early months of 2022, and Moscow now occupies about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.

The President's Evolving Stance

Sir Keir described the bilateral declaration as "a vital part of our dedication to stand with Ukraine for the foreseeable future".

He added: "It paves the way for the juridical structure under which allied military personnel could operate on Ukraine's territory, protecting Ukrainian airspace and waters, and rebuilding Ukraine's armed forces for the years to come."

Zelensky hailed that accord as a "significant leap of progress".

A day later, however, he appeared less optimistic.

"I perceive the determination, the political will, and that the allies are prepared, and the allies are willing to give us strong sanctions, strong security guarantees," he said when asked if European countries would defend Ukraine.

"But as long as we lack such binding security pacts - 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 first and foremost on your own strength."

Persistent Challenges and Fighting

Negotiations in Paris were also notable due to the attendance of US President Donald Trump's peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Witkoff said the allies "largely finished" their work on agreeing security protocols.

Last week, Zelensky said a peace deal was "90% ready".

Questions of land and security guarantees have been at the center of outstanding matters for diplomats.

Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's military must withdraw from the entirety of the Donbas region or Russia will seize it, rejecting any compromise over how to conclude hostilities.

Zelensky has so far ruled out ceding any territory, 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 region, and some nearly all of the adjacent Luhansk region. The two regions constitute the Donbas industrial heartland.

It has been intensifying attacks against Ukrainian cities - with a focus on energy infrastructure. Russia has also made incremental advances in capturing more Ukrainian territory.

Ukrainian forces have retaliated at objectives inside Russia with drones, though with varying degrees of effectiveness.