Zelenskiy condemns Trump-Russia diesel pact and calls Moscow's peace overtures a parody

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy used a European Union summit in Brussels to denounce President Donald Trump's recent diesel agreement with Russia and to label Moscow's peace overtures as a "parody" of genuine negotiations. He said the deal would channel more money to President Vladimir Putin and would not offset broader market impacts.

Zelenskiy also highlighted ongoing disruptions to the SpaceX Starshield satellite system, which Ukraine relies on for battlefield communications, and warned that the short-term loss of the service puts civilians at risk. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas echoed the importance of the system, noting that Europe cannot replace it quickly.

The Ukrainian leader appealed to EU members for additional funding, estimating a €155 billion cost for the coming year and requesting at least €70 billion for defence, weapons and resilience. He posted the request on X, emphasizing the need to hold back Russian forces.

President Trump, speaking to Newsmax, defended the diesel deal and blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for higher global oil prices, calling the criticism a "disgrace." A U.S. official denied that Trump ordered a slowdown of the Starshield service, and Trump affirmed that intelligence sharing with Ukraine continues.

In related developments, Russian drone attacks on Kharkiv killed three people, and strikes elsewhere left hundreds of thousands without power. The Kremlin said Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian facilities had undermined prospects for immediate peace talks.

"And now we can see how cash will start flowing back into Russia through the diesel deal," Zelenskiy said at the press conference. "Putin does not want peace talks at the moment, in any form. He's playing with words, claiming they respond… Quite simply, it looks like a parody of a genuine desire to end the war." "Starlink is really necessary for Ukraine. And unfortunately, in short term, Europe can't replace this capability," Kaja Kallas added. "All he's doing is making the world oil price higher. Well, I think that's a disgrace," President Trump said.

EU leaders also debated internal budget disagreements, with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson noting a lack of consensus among member states on the bloc's own budget.