Zelenskiy condemns Trump-Russia diesel deal and doubts Russian peace overtures

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy used a press conference at the European Union summit in Brussels to denounce President Donald Trump’s recent diesel deal with Russia, saying the arrangement would channel money to Vladimir Putin’s war effort. He added that Russia’s current statements on peace negotiations were “a parody of a genuine desire to end the war.”

Zelenskiy also highlighted ongoing disruptions to the SpaceX Starshield satellite system, which Ukraine relies on for battlefield communications and to counter Russian drone attacks. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the service remains essential and cannot be readily replaced by Europe.

The president appealed to European leaders for additional financial support, citing a projected €155 billion cost for the coming year and requesting at least €70 billion for defence, weapons and resilience. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal indicated the EU may need to provide a new loan to cover Ukraine’s budget gap.

President Trump, speaking to Newsmax, defended the diesel deal and claimed that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries were raising global oil prices. A U.S. official rejected claims that Trump ordered a slowdown of the Starshield system, affirming that intelligence sharing with Ukraine continued.

Meanwhile, Russian drone attacks on Kharkiv killed three people, and strikes elsewhere left hundreds of thousands without power. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson noted deep divisions among EU member states over the bloc’s own budget, describing the lack of consensus as “incredibly far apart.”