{"id":9256,"date":"2026-10-16T16:13:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T16:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=9256"},"modified":"2026-10-16T16:13:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T16:13:11","slug":"zelensky-drums-up-european-backing-as-trump-ties-slump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=9256","title":{"rendered":"Zelensky drums up European backing as Trump ties slump"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A handout picture made available by the Presidential Press Service shows Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar, right, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, left, meeting on the second day of a European Council summit in Brussels, Belgium, Friday. Zelensky is in Brussels to hold a series of bilateral talks with European leaders and attend a two-day EU summit. EPA-Yonhap<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

BRUSSELS, Belgium \u2014 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged EU leaders Friday to keep financing Kyiv’s fight with nearly $80 billion more next year, as he insisted he was standing up for his country amid a fresh row with US President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

Kyiv’s ties with Trump have nosedived after the US leader eased sanctions on Russia as part of a deal to supply diesel.<\/p>\n

Trump branded Kyiv’s actions a “disgrace” and said it was easier to deal with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin than Zelensky after the Ukrainian leader ordered his forces to resume strike on Russian refineries.<\/p>\n

“I defend the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people exclusively,” Zelensky told journalists after talks with EU leaders in Brussels.<\/p>\n

Asked if he was being made a scapegoat for Trump’s domestic woes ahead of the US midterms, Zelensky just smiled.<\/p>\n

“This is my answer,” he said, after an extended pregnant pause.<\/p>\n

The latest breakdown between Trump and Zelensky has fuelled fear that the US leader is siding with Moscow.<\/p>\n

Those concerns have been heightened by disruptions to a critical US-provided satellite system that has hampered Ukraine ability to counter Russia’s intense bombardments.<\/p>\n

Ukraine uses the Starshield system from Elon Musk’s SpaceX for battlefield communications, mid-range strikes on Russian-occupied territory and interceptor drones. It also uses SpaceX’s parallel Starlink civilian satellite system, but not for offensive operations.<\/p>\n

Tech billionaire Musk — though a virulent Zelensky critic — said his company was not behind the disruption and a US official denied any intervention by Trump.<\/p>\n

“Has the speed been fully restored to what it was before? No. Is the speed being restored now? Yes,” Zelensky said.<\/p>\n

In his speech to EU leaders, Zelensky said that he believed that most Americans supported Ukraine’s fight against Moscow’s invasion.<\/p>\n

“At the end of the day, the American people will have their say,” he said.<\/p>\n

70 billion euro question<\/strong><\/p>\n

While he grapples with Trump, European leaders put on a show of unity with Zelensky.<\/p>\n

“This is no time to withdraw the support to Ukraine. This is no time to relieve Russia’s sanctions,” European Council chief Antonio Costa said.<\/p>\n

“Now it is time to increase our support, to increase our pressure.”<\/p>\n

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said that “the situation in Ukraine is currently truly dire, with numerous Russian attacks and a tense relationship between Ukraine and the US.”<\/p>\n

“It is crucial that we, as Europe, demonstrate our unconditional support for them today — and explore what additional steps we can take,” he said.<\/p>\n

But the EU leaders will need to find more than just words to keep Ukraine going.<\/p>\n

Zelensky asked the bloc to provide Kyiv an extra 70 billion euros ($79 billion) in funding next year to help it keep fighting Russia.<\/p>\n

“This is a realistic amount. And I ask you to find this support. It will help us hold Russia back.”<\/p>\n

Frozen assets<\/strong><\/p>\n

The EU — Ukraine’s biggest intentional backer — is currently paying out instalments of a 90-billion-euro loan for Kyiv that was set to help cover funding to the end of 2027.<\/p>\n

But the Ukrainian authorities have warned they will still face a major budget black hole as Russian strikes have battered the country’s economy.<\/p>\n

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday the European Union will have to find more money to finance Ukraine.<\/p>\n

The talks on new funding have reignited calls for the European Union to tap around 200 billion euros in frozen Russian central bank assets to fund Ukraine.<\/p>\n

“The frozen assets are there. That’s what should be used for supporting Ukraine,” said Latvian premier Andris Kulbergs.<\/p>\n

But there seems little momentum on that front as Belgium, where most of the funds are held, remains opposed.<\/p>\n

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A handout picture made available by the Presidential Press Service shows Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar, right, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, left, meeting on the second day of a European Council summit in Brussels, Belgium, Friday. Zelensky is in Brussels to hold a series of bilateral talks with European leaders and attend a two-day…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-korea","category-trending-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t