Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says European allies have not given him concrete pledges that they will protect his country in the case of a new Russian aggression.
"I am asking this very question to all our partners and I have not received a clear, unambiguous answer yet," he told reporters on midweek.
These remarks follow a day after the UK and France signed a declaration of intent on stationing forces in Ukraine should a ceasefire agreement to conclude the conflict with Moscow is finalized.
However, comprehensive defense assurances have not been agreed. The United States, which has been leading efforts to halt the offensive, reportedly did not sign such a pledge at talks in Paris on the previous day.
Following the negotiations in Paris, which included some three dozen nations 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 US would assume a leading role 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 continuing to be negotiated.
Moscow has thus far remained silent on the declaration made in the French capital.
President Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russian forces currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine's land.
The UK Prime Minister characterized the bilateral declaration as "a vital part of our commitment to support Ukraine for the long-term".
He added: "It paves the way for the legal framework under which British, French and partner forces could operate on Ukraine's territory, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and rebuilding Ukraine's armed forces for the future."
Zelensky hailed that accord as a "significant leap of progress".
Twenty-four hours afterward, 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, powerful defense assurances," 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, backed by the U.S. Congress - this crucial issue cannot be answered. And should they materialize, you must ultimately depend first and foremost on your inherent capabilities."
The Paris talks were also notable owing to the presence of envoys from former President Trump's administration, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Witkoff said the participating countries "mostly completed" their work on agreeing security protocols.
Recently, the President indicated a peace deal was "90% ready".
Questions of land and security guarantees have been at the forefront of unresolved issues for negotiators.
The Russian leader has consistently stated that Ukraine's military must withdraw from the entirety of the Donbas region or Moscow will take control, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war.
The Ukrainian President has thus far rejected relinquishing any land, but has suggested that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an agreed point - but only if Russia reciprocated the action.
Moscow currently controls about 75% of the Donetsk oblast, and some nearly all of the neighbouring Luhansk. The pair of oblasts form the industrial Donbas region.
It has been intensifying attacks against Ukrainian cities - with a focus on power facilities. Russia has also made slow progress in capturing more Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine has hit back at Russian targets with unmanned aerial vehicles, though with varying degrees of effectiveness.
Elara is a seasoned writer and digital storyteller with a passion for exploring diverse literary genres and empowering others through words.
