Zelensky Seeks EU Support Amid Conflict with Trump over Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries

The key facts

Trump called Ukraine's strikes on refineries a 'disgrace' and said dealing with Zelensky is harder than with Putin
Zelensky asked the EU for 70 billion euros for defense; the war will cost 155 billion euros next year
Starlink outages and the US diesel deal with Russia have strained Kyiv-Washington relations

Kyiv-Washington Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the EU summit in Brussels that he is 'only defending Ukraine's interests', after Donald Trump called Kyiv's new wave of strikes on Russian oil refineries a 'disgrace'. In an interview with Newsmax, Trump said he is 'not a big fan of Zelensky', that dealing with him is 'harder than dealing with Putin', and that Zelensky 'doesn't actually want a settlement'. In Trump's view, strikes on refineries drive up world oil prices, whereas there are 'many other targets'.

Diesel Deal and Starlink Outages

Tensions escalated after a US deal with Moscow to import 300,000 tons of diesel, which Zelensky called 'a gift to Putin' that 'will put money right into Putin's pocket to fund the war'. Earlier, Trump announced a 'truce' on energy infrastructure: Kyiv promised to halt strikes if Russia did the same, but Moscow said it had not agreed to a deal and continued attacks; three days later Kyiv resumed strikes. On Tuesday evening, outages hit the Starlink satellite network, critical to Ukraine's defense; that same night, deadly Russian strikes came without warning. Zelensky called the slowdown 'a very dangerous and unpleasant surprise' and said the speed had not yet been fully restored. According to AFP, Ukraine also uses SpaceX's Starshield system; Elon Musk said his company was not behind the outages, and a US official denied Trump's involvement. The US administration had previously warned it could restrict intelligence sharing if Kyiv did not stop strikes on refineries.

EU Summit: Money and Unity

At the summit, EU leaders demonstrated support for Zelensky. By his estimate, the war will cost 155 billion euros next year, of which at least 70 billion euros should come from the EU for defense and weapons. He also asked for more Patriot missiles and noted that Ukraine could produce three times more drones but 'there is simply no money'. Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the 70 billion euro sum 'needs to be covered' and tasked the commission with preparing a proposal; Emmanuel Macron said the request would be analyzed, and Friedrich Merz said the EU would discuss it by the end of the year. European Council President Antonio Costa said it is 'not the time to wind down support for Ukraine and weaken sanctions against Russia'. The use of about 200 billion euros of frozen Russian assets is also being discussed, but Belgium, where most of the funds are held, remains opposed. Zelensky said that in America there are 'many people with kind hearts' who want to be allies, and that 'the American people will speak up in the end'.

Situation on the Front

Attacks continue: overnight into Thursday, people were killed in a Russian drone strike on Kharkiv. Russian authorities reported the closure of airspace over Moscow for several hours and the interception of 644 drones over 26 regions. According to BBC Verify, satellite images show that Russia has almost completed construction of a drone base 3.5 km from Millerovo airbase in Rostov Oblast over six weeks; expert Justin Crump (Sibylline) believes this signals Moscow's intention to step up strikes in winter. Images from Vantor show that a Ukrainian missile strike destroyed several Su-34s at Borisoglebsk airbase in Voronezh Oblast.

Zelensky's Response to the 'Scapegoat' Question

At a press conference, Zelensky was asked whether he believes Trump is using him as a 'scapegoat' for his own political problems ahead of the US midterm elections. After a pause, Zelensky smiled and said: 'That is my answer', drawing laughter in the room.