According to him, access was never completely cut off. However, a speed limit was lowered, which effectively made it impossible for Ukraine to intercept the jet-powered Russian drones in time.
A moment later, he describes how he felt when Ukraine no longer had the same access to Starlink as before.
It was very painful and very uncomfortable.
Let the smile speak
Zelenskyy was asked if he feels Trump is using him as a scapegoat, given all the problems Trump is currently facing, including an uncertain midterm election, high diesel prices and the war with Iran.
Zelenskyy just smiled broadly at the long question - and let the smile speak for itself.
“That’s my answer,” he says.
Zelenskyy attended Friday’s EU summit in Brussels as a specially invited guest.
“I’m happy to be here. I’m grateful that we have such enormous support from the EU, the Council, the Commission, and the leaders - real leaders,” he says on his way into the meeting.
Energy and air defense
The main topic of Friday’s talks between Zelenskyy and EU leaders was Ukraine’s air defense and energy supply ahead of another winter of war.
Afterwards, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) also held a separate meeting with Zelenskyy.
“We talked in quite some detail about how the Gripen transfer is going, pilot training and all that. It’s a source of joy, because it really increases their capabilities,” Kristersson told the Swedish press afterwards.
Tough winter
Much of the discussion was also about the challenges Ukraine faces.
“There’s an incredibly tough winter ahead of them. There’s mass destruction of energy systems and other infrastructure,” the prime minister said.
To help Ukraine, the European Commission has been tasked with developing further proposals for financial support in 2027. According to Zelenskyy, at least 70 billion euros are needed.
“Supporting Ukraine has never been more relevant,” Council President António Costa said at his press conference after the summit.
This week’s EU summit in Brussels focused primarily on work on the EU’s next long-term budget for 2028–2034.
A so-called negotiating box - a draft budget to negotiate around - from the Irish government was rejected, among others, by Sweden. Sweden and several other countries want to see budget cuts to keep down their EU contributions.
European Council President António Costa will now develop a new negotiating box ahead of an extraordinary summit at the end of November.
Other major issues were the energy situation, migration, Ukraine, the future of the EU’s emissions trading system and trade relations with China.
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