Zelensky urges European leaders to stay strong over Ukraine

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged European leaders on Thursday to resist offering any concessions to Vladimir Putin to halt its invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking at a summit in Hungary, Mr Zelensky described yielding to Kremlin demands as “suicidal” for Europe, a move that would embolden Moscow and undermine European security.

His appeal follows Donald Trump’s re-election, raising uncertainty over US policy as Mr Trump has questioned the level of military and financial support for Kyiv in its war with Russia.

The one-day summit of the European Political Community, hosted by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, a Trump ally who has openly celebrated his re-election, convened around 50 European leaders to discuss future relations with the US and address the escalating threat from Moscow.

Mr Zelensky accused some European leaders, without specifying who, of “strongly” pushing Ukraine to make “concessions to Putin” — a move Kyiv warns would only embolden the Kremlin and fuel further aggression. He said a resolute European stance was needed and that “hugs with Putin” would not secure the continent’s future.

“There has been much talk about the need to yield to Putin, to back down, to make some concessions … It’s unacceptable for Ukraine and suicidal for all Europe,” Mr Zelensky said, according to a copy of the address provided to AFP by the Ukrainian presidency.

Mr Trump’s return to power presents a formidable challenge for Europe, when the continent’s major powers are politically fragile: Germany’s coalition government has just collapsed and France faces internal divisions.

Zelensky urged Europe and the US to maintain strong ties after Trump’s election win. He said: “A strong Europe is what America needs. This is the connection between allies that must be valued and cannot be lost.”

Rose Gottemoeller, former deputy secretary general of NATO under Trump, told The Independent that Trump has made it clear he would likely scale back US assistance to Ukraine, despite the country currently being the largest contributor to Ukraine’s defence.

“There is a great deal of anxiety inside Kyiv,” Ms Gottemoeller said, as Mr Zelensky has been actively promoting his peace plan and pushing for early NATO membership to secure stronger security guarantees.

She said Trump’s re-election would mark a “different period for the Ukrainians.” Mr Trump has often claimed he has an “inside track” with Putin and famously said that he could “make peace in 24 hours.” But his approach would likely involve pushing for an early negotiation, which could result in a ceasefire that leaves “Russians on Ukrainian territory.”

She continued: “Zelensky has said he doesn’t want a single Russian soldier on a single centimetre of Ukrainian soil, that would be a move away from a key condition [he] had for joining a peace deal.”

At the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron underscored that Ukraine’s success against Russia aligns directly with European security interests, adding that Europe must no longer rely solely on US support.

“The world is made up of herbivores and carnivores. If we decide to remain herbivores, the carnivores will win, and we will merely be a market for them,” the French president said, using this metaphor to urge Europeans to become “at least” “omnivores.”

European commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she looked forward to working again with Trump. On Ukraine, she said: “It is in all our interests that the autocrats of this world get a very clear message that is not the right of might, that the rule of law is important.”

Meanwhile, dozens of Russian drones targeted Kyiv in an eight-hour night-time assault, Ukrainian authorities reported on Thursday. Officials described a mix of individual drones and coordinated swarms entering Ukrainian airspace from multiple directions and altitudes.

Ukrainian air defences intercepted around three dozen drones, but debris damaged a hospital, residential buildings and office spaces, including a fire that ignited on the 33rd floor of an apartment building. Local authorities reported at least two injuries.

Agencies contributed to this report.