European Union leaders have urged continued support for Ukraine amid a deepening rift between Washington and Kyiv that has raised fears the country could be left more exposed to Russian attacks heading into the winter.
Top EU officials stressed the need to keep arming Ukraine and sanctioning Russia on Friday, the second and final day of an EU summit in Brussels attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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“This is no time to withdraw support to Ukraine,” said European Council President Antonio Costa, standing beside the Ukrainian leader. “This is no time to relieve Russia’s sanctions. Now it is time to increase our support, to increase our pressure.”
The EU is hosting Zelenskyy at one of the most difficult moments for Ukraine, four-and-a-half years after neighbouring Russia invaded it.
Russian missiles and drones have rained down on Ukrainian cities daily, and Kyiv’s souring relationship with the United States has sparked fears that Washington could pull back crucial intelligence sharing and weapons support.
Arriving at the summit, Zelenskyy thanked EU leaders for their support and pointedly referred to them as “real leaders”.
That remark appeared to be a dig at US President Donald Trump, who last weekend blindsided the Ukrainian president by announcing that Kyiv and Moscow had agreed not to target each other’s energy facilities.
Zelenskyy abandoned that deal on Thursday, saying Russia had failed to live up to it, a move Trump called “a disgrace”.
Trump has also angered Ukraine by suspending sanctions on Russian oil products and striking a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow to supply large quantities of diesel to global markets.
“This diesel deal will never be enough to offset the impact of the Strait of Hormuz on global markets,” Zelenskyy said on the sidelines of the summit. “But it will put more money straight into Putin’s pocket to fund this war.”
He also accused the Russian leader of having no real interest in peace talks.
“Putin does not want peace talks at the moment, in any form,” Zelenskyy said. “He’s playing with words … Quite simply, it looks like a parody of a genuine desire to end the war.”
Zelenskyy asks EU for $79bn
Bracing for expected winter-time attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Zelenskyy asked EU leaders for an additional 70bn euros ($79 billion) in funding next year to keep up the fight against Russia.
“The war will cost 155 billion euros [$174bn] next year. And we need at least 70 billion euros more from you – for defence, for weapons and for our resilience,” the Ukrainian president said.
“This is a realistic amount. And I ask you to find this support. It will help us hold Russia back.”
Al Jazeera’s Rosie Birchard, reporting from the summit in Brussels, said Zelenskyy made an “emotional plea” for European support, with air defence systems at the top of his “wish list”.
Zelenskyy appealed to European countries to dig into their own stocks to help cover Ukraine’s needs in the colder winter months, said Birchard. “But of course, that would mean some European countries potentially compromising their own national security.”
‘We stand by your side’
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told the Reuters news agency that the EU would probably have to provide a new loan to Ukraine to help cover its budget gap for next year.
“Last winter was already hell, this one will be once again like hell,” Michal said.
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen pledged continued EU support for Ukraine through the winter.
“Russia is trying everything to destroy the energy and water infrastructure. But we stand by your side. We will support you as we did in the other winters,” she said.
Austria, however, urged caution in the debate over new, far-reaching financial commitments to Ukraine.
“There are so many figures being bandied about that we now need to put them into context, explain them and make it clear where this shortfall is coming from,” said Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker.
Al Jazeera’s Birchard said the general European solidarity for Zelenskyy was a stark difference from recent messages coming from Washington. “He is once again, at least, among friends,” she said.
However, Birchard added that some European officials were said to be appealing to Zelenskyy behind closed doors to “kind of dial down” his public criticism of Trump, which they fear could put Europeans in a tough position.
“Of course, they [European officials] want to show that they are close to Ukraine, that they are supporting Zelenskyy, but they also don’t want to antagonise the US,” she said.
Friday’s summit came as Russian strikes killed three people in Kharkiv and left hundreds of thousands of people without power in Ukraine.
The Kremlin last week said Ukraine had undermined the possibility of an immediate resumption of peace talks after hitting Moscow with drones during last month’s election.