Zelenskyy to Trump: ‘We will stand our ground’ — live updates – POLITICO
by POLITICO · POLITICOUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a direct pitch to EU leaders on the second day of the European Council for more help in the wake of Donald Trump’s latest steps favoring Russia.
After incurring Trump’s ire by announcing Kyiv would resume strikes against Russian oil refineries, Zelenskyy said of the U.S. president “we always manage to find common ground,” but added “I advocate exclusively for the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.”
“We have been attacked, our territory has been occupied, and our people have been killed. It stands to reason that we have a right to self-defense, a completely legitimate right. We will stand our ground,” he said.
“It’s difficult when communicating with partners, it’s hard to find words they will understand,” the Ukrainian leader added.
In their closed-door talks, EU leaders didn’t put any pressure Zelenskyy to tone down his remarks on Washington or the U.S. president, according to four EU diplomats briefed on exchanges among leaders in Brussels.
Leaders are also weighing measures to suspend asylum applications in emergencies, as well as how to protect the bloc from Russian hybrid attacks.