Zelensky courts Europe as US ties sour over Starlink and diesel deal

· Politics · Ukraine · European Union

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky turned to European allies at an EU summit in Brussels on Friday, asking for an additional €70 billion to fund the war next year and calling European leaders "real leaders." He condemned a US diesel-supply deal with Russia, called Moscow's stance a "parody" of peace talks, and warned Russia's ambitions extend beyond eastern Ukraine. The visit came as Ukraine's military still had not regained full Starlink access; Zelensky called the US limiting service a "dangerous and unpleasant surprise." President Donald Trump said he did not think he or Elon Musk was responsible, while a Ukrainian minister told CNBC the curbs emboldened Russia. Russian drone attacks killed three people and cut power to over a million, and a UN agency warned strikes and winter hardship may drive more Ukrainians from their homes. Germany and Portugal reaffirmed support; Hungary and Ukraine agreed to reset ties.

Why it matters：The episode exposes how dependent Ukraine's battlefield is on a single US commercial service and how quickly transatlantic unity can fray, shaping whether Kyiv can hold its defensive lines through winter.

Key points

  • Zelensky asked the EU for an additional €70 billion for next year's war effort.
  • He blasted Trump's diesel deal with Russia and welcomed a bigger European peace role.
  • Russian drone strikes killed three and cut power to more than a million Ukrainians.

Sources (original reporting)

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