Trump says Zelensky is harder to manage than Putin as EU summit backs Ukraine
Zelensky, in Brussels for the EU summit, did not respond to Trump's latest criticism, while a Russian drone attack on Kharkiv injured at least 19 people.
Trump's criticism and the refinery strikes
Donald Trump has renewed his attacks on Volodymyr Zelensky, telling Newsmax that the Ukrainian president is harder to manage than Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the same interview he called Ukraine's new wave of strikes on Russian oil refineries a shame, arguing that the war is pushing up world oil prices. Zelensky did not respond to the criticism, which came while he was in Brussels for a summit with EU leaders.
Zelensky had halted strikes on Russian energy targets for three days at Trump's request, but said on Thursday, 15 October, that the attacks would resume because Moscow had never stopped its own. Ukrainian drones hit a Russian oil refinery that day. The Kremlin says it never agreed to the energy armistice Trump announced on the weekend of 10 and 11 October. Separately, the United States imposed restrictions on Starlink communications for two days, affecting Ukrainian armed forces, though sources in Kyiv said those limits were later lifted.
Attacks continue as the summit turns to winter
Russian attacks on Ukraine continued overnight. In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, several people were killed in a Russian drone attack, the regional governor said, and at least 19 were injured, according to Oleg Sinegubov, who posted the figure on Telegram. The Brussels summit is focused on financing Ukraine through another cold winter, the fifth since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ursula von der Leyen said Russia had not respected the energy armistice even for a minute, and argued that EU sanctions on Moscow must be tightened. She said no sanctions would be lifted until Russia stops the war. António Costa said there was no time to withdraw support for Ukraine or ease sanctions. Zelensky said Kyiv wants the war to end as soon as possible, but added that Russia shows no sign of wanting the same. Politico reports that Ukraine faces a funding gap of billions of euros next year.
The EU budget fight for 2028-2034
Leaders are split over the next seven-year budget. The Irish presidency of the Council presented a revised 2028-2034 proposal on Saturday, 10 October, cut by about 159 billion euros. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said on Friday that the exchange of views had been cold and predictable, and that everyone is dissatisfied with the current proposals.
António Costa has convened an extra leaders' summit on 26 November, aiming for a final deal in December, and will present new budget figures beforehand. He warned that missing the year-end deadline would delay EU payments to farmers and research projects past 1 January 2028, the date the budget is due to take effect. According to two EU diplomats cited by Politico, a failed December deal could push agreement to May or even October 2027 because of the electoral calendar. Emmanuel Macron told partners that France will not have the political capital to sign such a deal before the April 2027 presidential election. Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right opposition, has called for halving France's budget contribution if she wins, and has condemned any push to force a deal before the vote. Elections in 2027 are also due in Italy and Poland.
Greece and Italy are pressing for more flexibility on energy costs. Athens already has an extension of its national escape clause for energy security, worth roughly 700 million euros for 2026-2027, but wants more room to use it. Giorgia Meloni is asking for more time for temporary aid measures. Germany and Sweden want deeper budget cuts, while 17 other countries warn that new European priorities cannot be financed at the expense of cohesion and farm policy.
- Zelensky says Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy targets will resume, and Ukrainian drones hit a Russian refinery
- EU leaders meet in Brussels, where Costa says support for Ukraine stays firm
- Additional EU leaders' summit on the 2028-2034 budget
- Target month for a deal on the 2028-2034 budget
- French presidential election, after which Macron says France lacks the political capital to sign a budget deal
- Date the new seven-year EU budget is due to take effect
Frozen Russian assets and Black Sea security
Frozen Russian assets, valued at several hundred billion euros, are back on the negotiating table. Most of them sit at Euroclear, a financial depository based in Brussels. An earlier attempt to transfer the money directly to Ukraine was blocked by Belgium and other states over legal risks. Germany, Sweden and Finland now want the options reanalysed, as Kyiv needs extra resources to keep its defence going. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected the idea of placing the assets under American control in any peace talks with Moscow, arguing that the stakes go beyond Ukraine's territory to Europe's political order under Russian pressure.
Drones hit two ships in or near Romanian waters, prompting emergency talks with NATO. The summit will also discuss Black Sea security after incidents in Romania and Bulgaria. Bulgaria has proposed a joint agreement to stop attacks on civilian and military ships in the Black Sea, although questions remain over whether Russia would sign it. Leaders will also discuss a Black Sea hub, a platform for reporting incidents in the area in real time.
