US President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky as 'more difficult to deal with' than Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, EU leaders in Brussels reaffirmed support for Ukraine and refused to lift sanctions.
US President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stating that the Ukrainian leader is "more difficult to deal with than [Russian President Vladimir] Putin." The comments were made during an interview with US outlet Newsmax on Thursday evening, as Zelensky arrived in Brussels for a summit with European Union leaders.
Trump described Ukraine’s recent resumption of strikes on Russian oil refineries as a "disgrace." He argued that these attacks are driving up global oil prices, noting that the US recently announced a deal to import 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel to the American market to help lower fuel costs. Zelensky has previously called that deal a "gift to Putin."
"Zelensky is not a good guy for us to deal with," Trump said. "He doesn't want to settle. He says he wants to settle, but he doesn't." Trump added, "I'm not a big fan of Zelenskyy."
Zelensky had paused attacks on energy targets for three days at Trump's request for a ceasefire, but said on Thursday that the strikes would resume because Moscow had never stopped its own attacks. Zelensky did not immediately comment on Trump's latest remarks.
In Brussels, European leaders emphasized that they would not withdraw support from Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU would not lift any sanctions unless Russia stops the war. "Of course we supported President Trump's energy ceasefire but we've seen that Russia did not respect it, not a single minute," Von der Leyen told reporters. "Russia escalated and therefore we have to increase sanctions on Russia... We will not lift any sanctions unless Russia stops the war."
European Council President António Costa echoed this sentiment, warning against reducing pressure on Moscow. "This is no time to withdraw the support to Ukraine. This is no time to relieve Russia's sanctions. Now it is time to increase our support, to increase our pressure," Costa said.
The diplomatic tensions coincide with continued violence on the ground. Regional Governor Oleh Synegubov reported that a Russian drone strike in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv killed three people and wounded at least five. In the Volyn region, Russian drone strikes left 370,000 people without power, according to regional governor Roman Romaniuk. Emergency power cuts were also introduced in Kyiv by private energy provider DTEK.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas noted that Europe currently lacks the capacity to replace the Starlink satellite internet system used by Ukraine for defense. "Starlink is really necessary for Ukraine and unfortunately in (the) short term Europe can't replace this capability," Kallas said. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal indicated that the EU will likely need to provide a new loan to Ukraine to cover its budget gap for next year, citing a huge military funding deficit and stalled economic growth.
The divergence between US and EU positions highlights the growing strain in Western unity regarding the war in Ukraine. While the Trump administration seeks to lower domestic fuel prices and criticizes Ukrainian military tactics, European leaders are doubling down on sanctions and financial support. This split complicates Kyiv’s diplomatic efforts as it faces continued Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure and a significant budget shortfall.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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