Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised European leaders for their continued support of Kyiv at a summit in Brussels on Friday, as relations between Ukraine and US President Donald Trump appeared increasingly strained over the war with Russia.
European leaders have rallied around Zelensky after the White House reportedly pressed Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian oil facilities, while Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have continued. CNN reported that the diplomatic tensions have intensified following disagreements over energy policy, military support and Washington’s approach to Moscow.
Ukraine paused attacks on Russian oil refineries for three days after Trump unexpectedly announced an “energy ceasefire” between the two countries on Sunday. Kyiv subsequently resumed the strikes after Russia failed to respond, according to the report.
Trump’s recent decision to allow Russian oil exports reportedly surprised European leaders and left Zelensky feeling betrayed. The US president has linked the war in Ukraine to rising fuel prices, which have become a concern ahead of next month’s midterm elections.
On Thursday, Trump criticised Zelensky in an interview with Newsmax, saying he was “harder to deal with than Putin.” He softened his remarks the following day, telling reporters that he had a “good” relationship with the Ukrainian president and that he wanted him to “settle the war.”
Zelensky Highlights European Support
Arriving at the Brussels summit alongside senior European Union officials, Zelensky avoided directly addressing the deterioration in relations with Washington and instead emphasised Kyiv’s partnership with the EU.
“I am very grateful that we have such great support from the European Council, the Commission and the leaders — true leaders — who have stood with us since the beginning of this war,” Zelensky said.
The diplomatic difficulties have coincided with operational challenges for Ukraine, including disruptions affecting Starshield, the military version of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service.
Zelensky said on Friday that Starlink operations had improved but had not fully returned to their previous performance levels. He warned that the disruption had affected military logistics and civilian protection, noting that Ukraine’s forces rely on Starlink-equipped drones to deliver food and water to troops on the front lines.
“Have we fully restored the speed we had before? No. Is the speed coming back? Yes,” he said.
Trump denied that his administration had caused or ordered any slowdown in the service. “I didn’t do it. No, we didn’t do that at all,” he told reporters, adding that he did not believe Musk had been responsible either.
Musk had previously said that any decision to restrict Starshield would depend on the US president. A senior US official told CNN that Trump had not made such a request.
Ukraine also reported that it had not received the usual advance warning from the United States before a Russian ballistic missile struck a major power plant in Kyiv and damaged a residential building. Trump, however, insisted that Washington had not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
Ukraine Faces Shortage of Patriot Missiles
Zelensky also acknowledged that Ukraine’s supply of US-made Patriot air-defence missiles had been depleted, according to a source familiar with the situation cited by CNN.
“It is an open secret that we are not a priority destination for these missiles right now,” Zelensky said, noting that many Patriot interceptors were being sent to the Middle East. He nevertheless thanked European countries for financing military assistance, as well as NATO and the White House for their support.
Asked whether he believed Trump was using Ukraine as a scapegoat for high fuel prices and the ongoing war involving Iran, Zelensky remained silent for around 15 seconds before smiling and telling reporters: “That is my answer.”
The Ukrainian president said his team remained in regular contact with US negotiators and expected to arrange another meeting in the coming days.
“We will continue to live, to fight and, most importantly, to live with dignity,” he said, stressing the importance of preserving dignity despite the hardships of wartime.
EU Prepares Further Sanctions Against Russia
European Union leaders said they were preparing a new package of sanctions against Russia, the 22nd since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU had supported Trump’s proposed energy ceasefire but accused Russia of failing to respect it.
“We supported President Trump’s energy ceasefire, but we have seen that Russia did not respect it — not for a single minute. Instead, Russia escalated the situation, and therefore we must increase pressure on Russia,” von der Leyen said.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, meanwhile, accused Zelensky of lacking the desire to reach a peaceful settlement, adding that Moscow was in complete agreement with Trump on that assessment.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also pledged to continue the war during a visit to an undisclosed military command post. According to a video released by the Kremlin on Friday, Putin said Russian forces would continue striking Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and infrastructure in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian industrial and energy facilities.
The contrasting statements from Washington, European capitals and Moscow underscore the growing diplomatic divisions over how to end the war, as Ukraine continues to seek military assistance and sustained international pressure on Russia.
