Zelensky praises ‘real leaders’ in Europe amid growing tensions with Trump

On Friday, European leaders are rallying around Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a summit in Belgium as bilateral ties between the United States and Ukraine grow progressively strained.

The White House has heightened the pressure on Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil facilities, though Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure investments proceed without slowdown.

Following halting strikes on Russian oil refineries for three days at the request of the United States, Zelensky clarified he would resume those attacks given that Russia did not abide by the energy truce to US President Donald Trump's so-called energy ceasefire. Trump once again lashed out at Zelensky in an interview with Newsmax on Thursday, calling him “ not a good guy for us to deal with.”

When Zelensky reached at Friday's summit in Brussels, flanked by the European Union’s top leaders, he did not mention the decline in US relations nor the Starshield shutdown that Ukraine experienced this week.

“I’m so thankful that we have such huge support from (the) EU Council, Commission and leaders – real leaders – so that they stay with us from the very beginning of this war,” said Zelensky.”

He was eager to highlight the solidity of their connection with the EU. According to EU leaders, they were formulating a new package of sanctions against Russia, which is the 22nd package since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Separately with the Trump administration, they were determined to highlight that sanctions against Moscow would be escalated unless Putin ceased hostilities.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “We supported President Trump’s energy ceasefire, but we’ve seen that Russia did not respect it – not a single minute. Instead, Russia escalated, and therefore we have to increase the pressure on Russia.”

Zelensky has urged EU leaders to bolster economic and defense assistance to Ukraine which needs more air defenses to shield civilian and energy infrastructure from unceasing Russian strikes.