Zelensky says Ukraine has right to defend itself after Trump calls latest strikes a 'disgrace'
EU leaders rally around Ukraine's president after new criticism from Donald Trump, who says Zelensky is "more difficult to work with than Putin".
Key points
- Zelensky defended Ukraine's right to strike Russian oil refineries after Trump called the attacks a disgrace.
- Trump said Zelensky is harder to deal with than Putin and is not a good guy for the US.
- Zelensky told EU leaders the war will cost €155bn next year, with €70bn needed from the EU.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine has the right to defend itself after US President Donald Trump called Kyiv's latest strikes on Russian oil refineries a disgrace. Trump also said Zelensky was more difficult to deal with than Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking at an EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Zelensky said he could not accept the US diesel deal with Moscow, warning a gas agreement could follow. He said he had to stand up to it, asking who else would.
Tensions over diesel deal
Relations between Washington and Kyiv have worsened over the US diesel deal with Moscow and restrictions on Ukraine's battlefield satellite network. Trump criticised Zelensky for resuming strikes on Russian oil refineries, saying they could affect Moscow's ability to supply 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the American and global marketplace.
Zelensky called the diesel deal a gift to Putin and said it would put more money straight into Putin's pocket to fund the war. Trump said in a Newsmax interview that he was not a big fan of Zelensky and that he was not a good guy for us to deal with. The Kremlin said it agreed with Trump that Zelensky did not want a deal with Russia.
If I don't stand up to this... who else will?
— Volodymyr Zelensky
Funding and winter defence
At the summit, EU leaders rallied around Zelensky, and funding for Ukraine and help through another winter topped the agenda. Zelensky told the European Council the war will cost €155bn next year, with at least €70bn needed from the EU for defence and weapons. He said Ukraine could produce up to three times more drones but simply does not have enough money.
Zelensky said he believed Europe holds all the Patriot interceptors Ukraine needs this winter but that they are being gathered piecemeal. It has been reported some EU countries are refusing to send extra supplies beyond their own defence needs and Nato obligations. He also said there are many people with good hearts in America who want to be allies, not to divide or humiliate Europe.
Continued attacks on both sides
Deadly attacks continued as the diplomacy went on. Several people were killed in a Russian drone strike in Kharkiv on Thursday night, and about 270,000 households lost power after strikes in the western Volyn region, local governors said.
Ukraine kept up its own strikes. Moscow's airspace closed for several hours, causing flight delays, as 644 drones were intercepted above 26 Russian regions, the defence ministry said. Governors in the Vladimir and Rostov regions reported interceptions and damage to industrial and warehouse facilities.
