Zelensky visits Brussels as EU leaders discuss Ukraine support, winter package and sanctions on Russia

Why it matters

The summit came as Ukraine faces what could be one of the most difficult winters of the full-scale war, with Zelensky publicly flagging urgent energy, air defence and financing needs. EU leaders used the occasion to reaffirm, in front of cameras alongside Zelensky, that sanctions against Russia will remain until the war ends and that a 22nd sanctions package is in preparation. At the same time, the meeting exposed the limits of EU action: there were no decisions on financing Ukraine or on Russian assets because of a lack of agreement, and Belgium's prime minister publicly blocked movement on using frozen Russian central bank funds. The summit also unfolded against a fresh deterioration in Ukraine–U.S. relations, raising the diplomatic stakes for Brussels at a time when European officials are seeking to keep transatlantic coordination on Russia intact.

What happened

President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Brussels for a European Council summit and, alongside European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, spoke to journalists before negotiations began. Zelensky named preparing Ukraine for winter as the main priority, saying the coming winter could be among the most difficult of the full-scale war, and said the winter package needs to cover not only energy but also air defence and financing. He said Ukraine wants to end the war as soon as possible but sees no signals from Russia of readiness for peace, and called for additional air defence systems and funding not only for 2026 but also for 2027.

Costa said it is not the time to reduce aid to Ukraine or to ease sanctions against Russia, that EU support remains as strong as ever, and that the EU should strengthen support and pressure on Russia to achieve a real ceasefire and bring Russia to the negotiating table. He addressed Zelensky directly, telling him Ukraine can count on the EU not only during the war but also in its future as an EU member, and noted that two further accession negotiating clusters had recently been opened, with the process needing to continue. Von der Leyen said the EU supported U.S. President Donald Trump's energy ceasefire initiative but that Russia did not honour it and instead escalated; she said no EU sanctions will be lifted until Russia ends the war and confirmed that the European Commission is preparing a 22nd sanctions package. She also said the summit would discuss Ukraine's financial, budgetary and military needs for 2026 and 2027.

The summit took place amid a fresh deterioration in Ukraine–U.S. relations, after Trump criticised Zelensky over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and called for them to stop, and Washington concluded an agreement with Moscow providing for a temporary easing of U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel — a step that caused concern in Europe that additional oil revenues could help Russia continue the war.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

All reporting on the summit comes from Ukrainian outlets, and coverage is centred on Zelensky's statements and his bilateral exchanges with Costa and von der Leyen. Ukrainian sources foreground Ukraine's energy, air defence and financing needs for 2026 and 2027, and frame EU institutional support as strong and growing, including continued progress in opening EU accession clusters. The backdrop of strain in Ukraine–U.S. relations is highlighted, with Washington's deal with Moscow on Russian diesel presented as a source of European concern. Internal EU disagreement is noted mainly through Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever's categorical opposition to using frozen Russian central bank assets, with the broader implication that EU consensus on such steps is lacking.

Where reporting differs

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever refuses to allow discussion of using frozen Russian central bank assets, arguing that doing so is incompatible with eventual peace negotiations; other EU leaders want the topic brought back to the table. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš publicly criticised Trump, saying he has 'essentially let Europe down' by dealing with Putin, while EU institutional leaders (Costa and von der Leyen) framed Washington's recent moves more cautiously as a cause for European concern. Reporting indicates the summit produced no decisions on financing Ukraine or on Russian assets because consensus was lacking, while EU institutional messaging emphasised continued and even strengthened support and pressure on Russia.

Background

Ukraine's additional financing needs for 2026 are estimated at 70 billion euros. Two new EU accession negotiating clusters for Ukraine were recently opened, and the goal is to open the remaining two clusters by the end of the year so work can begin on the reforms required for accession. The European Commission has noted a certain slowdown in the pace of reforms in Ukraine, which it says is necessary both for future EU membership and for receiving EU budget support tranches. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has publicly called for pressure on Russia through sanctions, the use of frozen assets, isolation and restrictions on access to relevant technologies.