Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says European allies have not given him concrete pledges that they will protect his country in the event of a future Russian attack.
"I am asking this very question to every one of our allies and thus far, the answer remains elusive a definitive and straightforward response yet," he told reporters on Wednesday.
His comments come a day after the UK and France inked a declaration of intent on stationing forces in Ukraine if a peace deal 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 Tuesday.
Details of the Paris Talks
After the Paris talks, which included some three dozen nations 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 subsequently indicated thousands of troops may be sent.
Allies proposed that the US would assume a leading role in monitoring a truce. But the key issue of ceding land that Ukraine is being asked to grant to Russia as part of the peace proposals are continuing to be negotiated.
Moscow has not yet commented on the announcement made in the city of Paris.
President Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the early months of 2022, and Russian forces currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine's land.
Zelensky's Shifting Tone
Sir Keir described the bilateral declaration as "an essential component of our commitment to support Ukraine for the long-term".
He continued: "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 military for the future."
Zelensky hailed that agreement as a "significant leap of progress".
A day later, however, he seemed more cautious.
"I see the will, the political will, and that the partners are ready, and the allies are willing to give us robust economic measures, strong security guarantees," he said when asked if nations in Europe would come to Ukraine's aid.
"However, until we lack such binding security pacts - formally ratified, supported by parliaments, backed by the U.S. Congress - this crucial issue cannot be answered. And should they materialize, you still have to rely primarily on your own strength."
Persistent Challenges and Fighting
Negotiations in Paris were also notable owing to the presence of envoys from former President Trump's administration, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff said the allies "mostly completed" their work on finalizing security arrangements.
Last week, the President indicated a settlement was "ninety percent complete".
Questions of land and defense pledges have been at the forefront of unresolved issues for diplomats.
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 conclude hostilities.
The Ukrainian President has thus far rejected ceding any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could redeploy its forces to an agreed point - but only if Russia reciprocated the action.
Moscow currently controls about 75% of the Donetsk oblast, and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The two regions constitute the industrial Donbas region.
It has been intensifying attacks against Ukrainian cities - particularly targeting power facilities. Moscow is also achieving slow progress in seizing additional Ukrainian land.
Ukrainian forces have retaliated at objectives inside Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles, albeit with more limited success.
