Ukrainian President Zelenskyy speaks at EU summit amid spat with Donald Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was applauded by EU leaders when he appeared at this week's summit in Brussels. But getting what he needs from Europe will be tough, and a public dispute with US President Donald Trump has put him in a very difficult position.

Speaking to press at the summit, he said that "Putin wants to destroy us" and that Ukraine must prepare for a hard winter.

Experts view the upcoming cold season as a rough one for Ukraine as well.

"Ukraine is arguably entering the most difficult winter since [Russia's] full scale invasion," Olena Prokopenko, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a nonpartisan think-tank, told DW.

Three painful topics were on the table at the summit for discussion between Zelenskyy and EU leaders: US relations with Russia, Starlink ― and money.

Is the US siding with Russia?

Zelenskyy's visit to Brussels comes at a time when he needs European support more than ever. That's because his relationship with the US is worsening. Worries are growing in the EU and Ukraine that the US is growing more sympathetic to Russia.

President Trump told US news channel Newsmax: "I think I find Zelenskyy to be more difficult to deal with than [Russian President Vladimir] Putin."

Trump struck a deal to buy Russian diesel on October 12, which signifies a step back from sanctions placed on Russia and a blow for Ukraine.

When Zelenskyy ordered Ukrainian forces to conduct fresh strikes on Russia's oil refineries, Trump labelled the Ukrainian leader's decision as "a disgrace."

At the press conference at the summit on Friday, Zelenskyy told reporters that he knows that US-built missiles "are being sent to the Middle East, so it is no secret that we are not a priority."

He is asking Europe instead to supply the military power Ukraine needs to get through the winter.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US has been the biggest military donor to Ukraine. But the relationship between the two countries has become more difficult since the start of Donald Trump's second term in the White House.

The Starlink slowdown

Ukraine uses Starlink, a satellite Internet service developed by tech billionaire Elon Musk. The country also uses Starshield, the military-grade version, for battlefield communications, mid-range strikes on Russian-occupied territory and interceptor drones, though not for long-range strikes in Russia.

At the summit, Zelenskyy spoke of his "deep and unpleasant" surprise upon finding out that Ukraine was experiencing disruptions to the systems. He said this has hobbled Ukraine's ability to defend itself.

Both Elon Musk and the White House say they are not responsible for the slowdown.

The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told the press at the summit before the talks began: "Starlink is really necessary for Ukraine and unfortunately in [the] short term Europe can't replace this capability."

Prokopenko said that this was the reason "why Ukraine's most credible medium-term solution here is to continue relying on the US. And the EU is critical in this context in terms of backing Ukraine's requests for the US administration to keep those technologies on offer" for Kyiv.

Speaking to journalists at the summit, Zelenskyy said the speed of Starlink had still not been fully restored but had improved. He said Ukraine is cooperating with various countries, including France, to search for a partial solution.

Ukraine's budget problem

Zelenskyy urged EU leaders Friday to keep backing Kyiv financially as well, asking for nearly $80 billion (€70 billion) more next year.

"This is a realistic amount and I ask you to find this support," Zelenskyy said. "It will help us hold Russia back."

The EU gave Kyiv an approximately $100 billion (€90 billion) loan last year, making the EU Ukraine's biggest international backer. But the Ukrainian government is saying it needs more.

"The war is becoming objectively more expensive, and the Ukrainian economy is increasingly affected by the Russian strikes, leading to a drastic decline in tax and customs revenues," Prokopenko said. "So the needs will continue growing."

So will Ukraine get what it needs? Closing the summit, President of the European Council Antonio Costa said that Ukraine "remains a priority" and asked the European Commission to come up with a proposal to pull together more funds for the country in 2027.

Essentially, it looks as though the EU will try to find a way to meet Ukraine's cash demands ― though it is not yet clear how.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised the EU will "continue to lead" but urged international partners to step up as well.

Ukraine to 'keep living and fighting with dignity'

Zelenskyy will leave Brussels without concrete promises or numbers, but with renewed commitments for support from Europe.

The Ukrainian president concluded his press conference with an emotional statement: "We will keep living and fighting with dignity."

Edited by: Carla Bleiker