Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Brussels on 16 October seeking further European Union support for Ukraine, Euronews reports. Planned talks with the leaders of the EU’s 27 member states are expected to focus on Kyiv’s financial and military needs, particularly stronger air defences and protection for energy infrastructure.
The visit comes amid tensions with Donald Trump’s administration and uncertainty over continued US assistance. According to Euronews, Ukraine is looking to Europe both for funding and for ways to reduce its dependence on American defence technology. At this stage, however, the reporting concerns the aims of the talks, rather than an agreed new aid package.
Air defence and communications among the priorities
In an interview with Euronews, Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, called for the development of European alternatives to American missile defence capabilities and the Starlink satellite communications system. His appeal forms part of Kyiv’s wider effort to secure European support amid uncertainty in its relations with Washington.
The planned agenda also includes protecting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Strengthening air defences is therefore being presented not only as a military requirement, but also as a way to safeguard the country’s infrastructure.
Funding for 2027 and the dispute over Russian assets
EU leaders are expected to hold preliminary discussions on Ukraine’s funding gap for 2027. Euronews reports that the government in Kyiv estimates the shortfall at $78 billion. That figure is not an approved EU aid allocation: it is Ukraine’s estimate of the missing funding, intended to inform the discussions.
Also returning to the agenda is the possibility of using Russian state assets immobilised in the EU as the basis for a loan to Ukraine. Euronews notes, however, that Belgium has raised concerns about the legal and financial risks of such an arrangement. It remains under discussion, rather than a newly adopted EU decision.
The Brussels talks therefore concern both immediate military support and funding for Ukraine in the following year. Zelenskyy’s presence and the planned agenda do not yet establish what commitments member states will make.
