The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that so far he has not received a clear and unambiguous answer from Great Britain, France and Germany whether they would defend Ukraine in the event of a new Russian aggression.
In a conversation with journalists, Zelensky was asked whether he was confident that Paris, Berlin and London would militarily stand behind Kiev in the event of a repeated attack by Russia, by analogy with Charles de Gaulle's famous statement that he was not sure whether the US would defend Paris. The Ukrainian president replied that this was a "very complex question", to which he would very much like to receive a simple and clear answer.
"I would very much like, especially me, to hear a clear "yes" - that if there is a new aggression, all partners will give a strong response to Russia. This is exactly the question I am asking all our partners. But so far I have not received a clear and categorical answer," Zelensky said.
He added that he sees political will among Western allies to provide serious guarantees for Ukraine's security, but stressed that this is not enough. According to him, until real security guarantees are agreed - legally formalized, ratified by national parliaments and supported by the US Congress - no unequivocal answer can be given as to whether Ukraine will be protected in the event of a new military conflict.
Zelensky's statement comes against the backdrop of Kiev's ongoing efforts to obtain long-term and binding security commitments from its key Western partners, amid uncertainty about future support and the development of the war.