Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on European Union leaders to speed up weapons shipments and keep the pressure on Russia on Thursday as military leaders gathered in London to meet on getting a potential peace agreement.
Zelenskyy spoke to EU leaders over video conference, cautioning that Russia still attacks Ukraine’s energy infrastructure even after Russian President Vladimir Putin made a deal with US President Donald Trump to cease doing so.
“Another Russian attack on our energy infrastructure last night,” Zelenskyy declared. “Despite Putin’s promises to be ready to halt, nothing has changed.”
He appealed to the EU to increase weapons supplies and ensure sanctions against Russia are not lifted, urging Putin to drop “unnecessary demands that only lengthen the war.”
Simultaneously, the UK hosted nearly 30 leading military officers from around the globe to coordinate responses to maintaining a future ceasefire in Ukraine. The two leaders have already communicated this week with Trump, indicating interest in suspending attacks on critical energy infrastructure for 30 days. Nevertheless, overnight drone assaults indicated little sign of an agreement that would ultimately last.
Trump, whose European security strategy has alarmed NATO allies, suggested that the US might take over Ukraine’s power plants. Zelenskyy dismissed the suggestion immediately.
“We will not talk about it. We have 15 nuclear power units operating today. This is all state property,” he said.
For Russia, a prerequisite for any enduring ceasefire is an end to Western military support to Ukraine, a condition that Kyiv and its supporters are unwilling to accept. With continued bombing and no definitive peace framework in sight, the future of the war is unknown.