Ukrainian President Zelensky speaks at the European Union meeting in the midst of differences with Donald Trump

European Union leaders emphasized their support for Ukraine at the Brussels meeting. But strained relations with the United States over Russia and Starlink and a big hole in the budget will spell a tough winter for Ukraine.

Ukraine's Zelensky speaks at EU summit amid rift with Trump

16/10/2026 October 16, 2026 European Union leaders emphasized support for Ukraine at the Brussels meeting. But strained relations with the United States over Russia and Starlink and a big hole in the budget will spell a tough winter for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was applauded by European Union leaders as he attended a meeting in Brussels this week. But getting what he needs from Europe will be difficult, and his public spat with US President Donald Trump has put him in a very difficult position.

Speaking to the press at the summit, he said that "Putin wants to destroy us" and that Ukraine should prepare for a difficult winter.

Experts consider the upcoming cold season to be a difficult season for Ukraine.

"Ukraine is entering arguably the toughest winter since [Russia's] full-scale invasion," Olena Prokopenko, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund in the United States, a nonpartisan think tank, told DW.

Three sore topics were on the table for discussion between Zelenskiy and EU leaders at the summit: US relations with Russia, Starlink - and money.

Zelenskiy's trip to Brussels comes at a time when he needs European support more than ever. The reason is the deterioration of his relationship with America. Concerns have grown in the EU and Ukraine that the US is more sympathetic to Russia.

"I think Zelensky is more difficult to deal with than [Russia] President Vladimir Putin," President Trump told US news network Newsmax.

On October 12, Trump signed a deal to buy Russian diesel, which would mean a rollback of sanctions against Russia and a blow to Ukraine.

When Zelensky ordered Ukrainian forces to launch new attacks on Russian oil refineries, Trump described the Ukrainian leader's decision as a "disgrace."

How Russia turned sanctions into a diesel deal

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Zelensky told reporters at a press conference on Friday that he knew US-made missiles were "being sent to the Middle East, so it's no secret that we're not a priority."

Instead, he wants Europe to provide the military forces Ukraine needs to survive the winter.

The United States has been the largest military donor to Ukraine since Russia's massive invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. But relations between the two countries have become more difficult since the beginning of the second term of Donald Trump's presidency in the White House.

Ukraine uses Starlink, a satellite internet service developed by tech billionaire Elon Musk. It also uses Starshield, the military version, for battlefield communications, medium-range attacks on Russian-occupied territories, and interceptor drones, though not for long-range strikes inside Russia.

At the summit, Zelensky spoke of his "deep and unpleasant" surprise after learning that Ukraine was experiencing a system disruption, he said, that had hampered Ukraine's ability to defend itself.

Both Elon Musk and the White House say they are not responsible for the slowdown.

"Starlink is really essential for Ukraine and unfortunately Europe cannot replace this capability in the short term," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kalas told the press before the start of the talks at the summit.

Prokopenko said that this is why "the most credible medium-term solution for Ukraine here is to continue to rely on the United States. And the EU is very important to Kyiv in terms of supporting Ukraine's requests to the US government to keep those technologies."

Speaking to reporters at the summit, Zelensky said Starlink's speed has not yet been fully restored, but it has improved. He said that Ukraine is working with various countries, including France, to find a partial solution.

Has anyone ordered a quick shutdown of Starlink Ukraine?

Zelenskiy urged EU leaders to continue financial support for Kyiv, asking for nearly $80 billion (€70 billion) more next year.

"It's a real value, and I want you to find that support," Zelensky said. This will help us hold back Russia."

Last year, the European Union loaned Kyiv about $100 billion (€90 billion), making it Ukraine's biggest international backer. But the Ukrainian government says it needs more.

"The war is becoming objectively more expensive and Ukraine's economy is becoming more expensive," Prokopenko said, increasingly affected by Russian attacks, leading to a sharp drop in tax and customs revenues.

So will Ukraine get what it needs? European Council President Antonio Costa said at the end of the summit that Ukraine "remains a priority" and called on the European Commission to come up with a proposal to raise more funds for the country in 2027.

Basically, it seems that the EU will try to find a way to meet Ukraine's cash demands - although it is not yet clear how.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised the EU would "continue to lead" but called on international partners to do the same.

Ukraine continues to "live and fight with dignity".

Zelenskiy will leave Brussels with no promises or concrete figures, but with renewed commitments to support Europe.

The President of Ukraine ended his press conference with an emotional statement: We will continue to live and fight with dignity.