Zelensky Seeks EU Support as Trump Calls Him Harder to Deal With

What changed

Donald Trump said Volodymyr Zelensky is “more difficult to deal with than Putin” and called Ukraine’s renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries “a disgrace.” Zelensky had paused attacks on energy targets for three days at Trump’s request, then said they would resume because Russia had not stopped its own attacks. In Brussels, he sought European backing while Russian drone strikes killed several people in Kharkiv and injured at least 14, according to the regional governor.

Why it matters

The dispute is now colliding with the battlefield, energy policy and diplomacy at once. Trump said the refinery strikes could push up world oil prices, while the United States has recently announced a deal to import 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel. Zelensky called that deal a gift to Putin.

Zelensky’s European meetings give Ukraine another diplomatic channel as relations with Washington deteriorate. Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would increase sanctions on Russia and would not lift them unless Moscow stopped the war.

The immediate outlook is a more fragile ceasefire effort. If Russia continues attacking while Ukraine resumes strikes on energy targets, each side will have an argument for rejecting the other’s terms. Whether the US-Ukraine dispute changes military or diplomatic policy remains unclear.