Zelensky Rejects U.S. Diesel Deal and Defends Strikes on Russian Refineries at EU Summit

President Volodymyr Zelensky told European leaders in Brussels that Ukraine will not concede to a U.S. diesel import agreement and will keep targeting Russian oil refineries. He said his stance is solely to protect Ukraine’s interests after Donald Trump called him “more difficult to deal with than Putin.” Trump, who recently struck a controversial diesel‑for‑Russia deal, labeled Kyiv’s new wave of refinery strikes a “disgrace” and warned that the attacks push world oil prices higher. Zelensky arrived with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, thanked the “real leaders” of Europe for their support, and said the diesel pact could lead to a gas arrangement that Ukraine cannot accept. He added that if he does not challenge the deal, nobody else will. Tensions have risen over the diesel agreement and recent curbs on the U.S.‑run Starlink battlefield network. Zelensky said he hopes U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators will meet “at one level or another” soon. At a post‑summit press conference, Sky News asked if Trump was using Zelensky as a scapegoat; after a long pause, Zelensky smiled and replied, “This is my answer.” Von der Leyen reiterated EU backing for a tougher sanctions regime after Russia ignored a U.S.‑proposed energy ceasefire. She warned Moscow is trying to destroy Ukraine’s energy and water systems as the continent prepares a winter aid package that includes energy, defence and funding. Deadly Russian drone strikes killed several people in Kharkiv and left about 270,000 homes in Volyn without power.

Context

The diesel deal is part of a broader U.S. effort to lower domestic fuel prices by buying Russian diesel, a move that clashes with Ukraine’s strategy of pressuring Russia’s energy exports. The restriction on Starlink has reduced Kyiv’s real‑time battlefield communications, making civilian attacks harder to anticipate.