REPLAY: Ukraine's Zelensky holds presser in Brussels

Speaking at the European summit in Brussels on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged European leaders to maintain support for Kyiv and warned against easing sanctions on Russia. According to the South China Morning Post, Zelensky requested an additional 70 billion euros in funding for next year to support defense, weapons, and resilience, noting that the war is expected to cost 155 billion euros.

France 24 reported that Zelensky accused Vladimir Putin of having no genuine interest in negotiations and criticized a US deal regarding Russian diesel, arguing that easing such restrictions could allow Moscow to reap financial benefits.

Zelensky also addressed EU membership, stating it would be "morally wrong" to split the membership processes of Ukraine and Moldova. The Kyiv Independent reported that Zelensky argued for keeping the two countries' bids tied together, citing the need for Ukrainian security services to protect Moldova from Russian influence in the occupied territory of Transnistria.

Additionally, Ukrinform - Politics reported that Zelensky stated he always finds topics for discussion with US President Donald Trump, while Putin seeks to destroy Ukraine.

Meduza (English) reported that a group of US congressmen proposed that Zelensky halt strikes on Russian oil refineries in exchange for an expanded Starlink coverage zone that would extend 300 kilometers into Russian territory. According to the report, Zelensky signaled a willingness to halt these strikes for 100 days. This follows previous discussions regarding an "energy truce" and Zelensky's earlier decision to resume strikes on Russian oil infrastructure after Russia continued to attack Ukraine's energy systems.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, South China Morning Post, Kyiv Independent, Meduza (English), Ukrinform - Politics — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.