Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met EU leaders, stating Russia shows no readiness to end the war. He requested urgent aid for energy and air defence following recent Russian attacks on Kharkiv, Rivne, and other energy facilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said Russia had shown no signs of readiness to end the ongoing war, as he met European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to seek further European assistance for Ukraine's energy infrastructure, air defence and financial resilience.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy said the meeting focused on strengthening support for Kyiv amid continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure. "I had a good meeting with the President of the European Council, António Costa @eucopresident, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen @vonderleyen. Right now, there are no signals from Russia that it is ready to end its war. The signals it is sending point to something entirely different and certainly do not bring peace any closer," Zelenskyy said.
He said Russia launched a strike on Kharkiv following overnight attacks on energy infrastructure, leaving two people dead and 17 others injured. Zelenskyy also reported that Russian forces struck a shopping mall in Rivne and energy facilities in four regions. "Two people have already been reported killed. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Seventeen others were injured," he said.
Call for energy and air defence support
Calling for stronger European leadership, Zelenskyy stressed the need to protect civilians from Russian attacks and said the discussions with Costa and von der Leyen covered immediate assistance for Ukraine's energy and air defence requirements. "We appreciate that everything we agree on is implemented promptly. Today, we discussed further assistance, first and foremost for our energy and air defence needs," he said.
The Ukrainian President added that the leaders also discussed support for Ukraine's financial resilience, including funding for next year, and coordinated efforts towards the country's European integration. He said new negotiating clusters had been opened during the week, adding that Ukraine was working to open the remaining two by the end of the year.
End of energy ceasefire
The meeting comes amid continuing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine and growing concerns over attacks on critical infrastructure ahead of winter.
On October 15, Zelenskyy declared an end to Kyiv's pause on strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, accusing Moscow of violating the US-announced energy ceasefire. "The block (on attacking refineries) is out. We're done," Zelenskyy told the Financial Times, indicating that Ukraine would resume attacks on Russian oil refineries.
US President Donald Trump had announced an immediate energy ceasefire on October 11, calling on both sides to stop targeting energy infrastructure. However, the arrangement came under strain after Zelenskyy accused Russia of continuing strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, alleging that the attacks had damaged critical infrastructure and disrupted electricity supplies. (ANI)
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