Zelensky visits Brussels as EU leaders debate Ukraine funding and frozen Russian assets
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Brussels for the second day of an EU summit on October 16, where European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen publicly reaffirmed support for Ukraine and pledged to keep sanctions on Russia in place until Moscow ends the war. Zelensky framed the meeting around Ukraine's energy needs and a "winter package" of energy, air defence and financing for 2026 and 2027. EU leaders remained divided over using frozen Russian central-bank assets to fund Ukraine, and the summit took place against a fresh strain in Ukraine–US relations following criticism from US President Donald Trump and a US–Russia diesel deal.
Key points
- Zelensky arrived in Brussels for the second day of the EU leaders' summit on October 16.
- Costa told Zelensky the EU would not cut aid and Ukraine could count on support not only during the war but as a future EU member.
- Von der Leyen said no Russia sanctions would be lifted until Russia ends the war and that the EU supported Trump's energy ceasefire initiative but Russia did not honour it.
- Zelensky named Ukraine's energy needs the main agenda item and said preparing for it was the priority, warning the coming winter could be among the hardest of the full-scale war.
- EU leaders were discussing Ukraine's financial, military and budgetary needs for 2026 and 2027, with additional financing needs estimated at around 70 billion euros for 2026.
- Belgian PM Bart De Wever firmly opposes using frozen Russian central-bank assets now; Danish PM Mette Frederiksen and Latvian PM Andris Kulbergs back using them, and Czech PM Andrej Babiš said a proposed 100 billion euro loan should sit outside the EU multi-year budget.
- The summit took place after Trump criticised Zelensky over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and Washington struck a deal with Moscow temporarily easing US sanctions on Russian diesel.
Why it matters
The summit was the main venue for coordinating EU financial, military and energy support to Ukraine heading into a winter expected to be among the hardest of the full-scale war. EU leaders publicly committed to keeping sanctions on Russia until the war ends and to preparing a new package, framing this against concerns about Washington's separate approach to Moscow. It also exposed unresolved disagreements among EU members over frozen Russian central-bank assets and the structure of a possible large loan for Ukraine.
What happened
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels for the second day of the EU leaders' summit on October 16. Before the start of negotiations he spoke to journalists together with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa. Costa said it was not the time to cut aid to Ukraine or to soften sanctions, that EU support for Ukraine remained as strong as ever, and that Ukraine could count on the EU both during the war and as a future EU member; he noted that two more EU accession negotiating clusters had recently been opened. Von der Leyen said no sanctions on Russia would be lifted until Russia ends the war, that the EU had supported US President Donald Trump's energy ceasefire initiative but that Russia had not honoured it and had instead escalated, and that the EU must therefore increase pressure on Russia. Zelensky identified Ukraine's energy needs as the main item on the agenda, said Ukraine needed additional air defence systems and financing for 2026 and 2027, and warned that the coming winter could be among the most difficult of the full-scale war. EU leaders were discussing further financial, budgetary and military support for Ukraine for 2026 and 2027, while remaining divided over the use of frozen Russian assets. According to earlier reporting, the summit was not expected to produce decisions on Ukraine financing or Russian assets because of the lack of consensus.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian sources foreground Zelensky's in-person message at the summit: he framed the agenda around Ukraine's energy needs for the coming winter, presented a "winter package" covering energy, air defence and financing, and asked for funding for both 2026 and 2027. Coverage highlights EU institutional pledges of continued support, including opening new accession clusters, an upcoming 22nd sanctions package, and Costa's personal assurance about Ukraine's future EU membership. Ukrainian outlets also stress the diplomatic clash with Washington — Trump's criticism of Zelensky over strikes on Russian oil refineries and a US–Russia diesel deal easing sanctions — and report Zelensky's claim that European countries are working on a separate negotiating format that would primarily represent Ukrainian interests, alongside his warning that Russia is seeking the return of frozen Russian assets as one of its goals. Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko is quoted calling for frozen Russian assets to be used to cover a possible 78 billion-dollar 2027 budget gap.
How international sources describe it
The Hong Kong-based English-language outlet in the set leads on the financial ask, headlining Zelensky's request for an additional 79 billion dollars to sustain Ukraine's war effort. Both Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian sources carry the same EU institutional line — Costa and von der Leyen reiterating that it is not the time to cut aid or ease sanctions and that Russia did not honour Trump's energy ceasefire initiative — but the framing centres on the EU's message to Kyiv and to Moscow rather than on Zelensky's domestic political messaging. The only non-Ukrainian article in the set does not engage with intra-EU disagreements over frozen assets or the loan structure, which Ukrainian reporting treats as a central tension of the summit.
Where reporting differs
EU member states are divided over whether to use frozen Russian central-bank assets for Ukraine now. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever firmly opposes discussing the topic, arguing that frozen assets have historically been touched only as part of post-conflict settlements and that current EU rules require unanimity to act on them. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen calls frozen assets the most obvious funding source, and Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs says they should be used to support Ukraine. EU leaders also differ on the scale and burden-sharing of financial support: Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten says too few states are providing tangible financial support and describes the Netherlands as among the top five donors, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš argues a proposed 100 billion euro loan should sit outside the EU multi-year budget and that the Czech Republic will not guarantee the funds. Earlier reporting indicated the October 15–16 summit would not produce decisions on Ukraine financing or Russian assets because of the lack of consensus.
Background
Ukraine's additional financing need for 2026 is estimated at around 70 billion euros, and Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko has warned of a possible 78 billion-dollar budget deficit in 2027. EU accession talks have advanced with two additional clusters recently opened; the European Commission aims to open the remaining two by year-end, while noting a slowdown in Ukraine's reform pace that affects budget-support tranches. The European Commission is preparing a 22nd sanctions package against Russia, and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has publicly argued that pressure on Moscow must be raised through sanctions, use of frozen assets, isolation and restrictions on access to relevant technologies.