European leaders convened in Brussels with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for what amounted to a public demonstration of solidarity at a moment when the transatlantic relationship is under severe strain. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered the headline commitment: 'We will not lift any sanctions unless Russia stops the war.' European Council President António Costa reinforced the line: 'This is no time to withdraw the support to Ukraine. This is no time to relieve Russia's sanctions.' The backdrop is bleak. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the situation in Ukraine as 'really grave,' with 'no signs from Russia that they want to stop this war.' Russia struck energy infrastructure overnight and hit Kharkiv the morning of the summit, killing at least two and injuring seventeen. A shopping mall in Rivne and energy facilities in four regions were also targeted. Winter is approaching, and Ukraine's energy and air defence needs are acute. The summit's subtext was Washington. Donald Trump told Newsmax he finds Zelenskyy 'more difficult to deal with than Putin.' Denmark's Mette Frederiksen rejected this directly: 'I disagree with what was said last night; fundamentally, I do not believe Putin can be trusted.' Kallas acknowledged that convincing American partners to increase pressure on Moscow is 'very difficult at the moment.' Zelenskyy himself thanked 'real leaders' in what was widely read as a pointed contrast with the US president. Concrete deliverables discussed include the deployment of the EU's €90bn loan to Ukraine, opening the remaining two negotiating clusters for EU accession by year-end, and ensuring financial support through 2027. The EU also reaffirmed its position on frozen Russian assets: they will not be returned unless Russia pays reparations. Irish PM Micheál Martin noted that a previous push to deploy seized assets 'came to nought,' signalling awareness that rhetorical unity does not always translate to fiscal action. Latvia's PM Andris Kulbergs offered a characteristically direct framing: 'If we want comfort in Europe and eat croissant, drink coffee in the morning, and don't think about the threats, then we have to support Ukraine.' He also flagged that Trump's war in Iran and the Hormuz crisis had boosted Russian oil revenues, undermining the sanctions regime from the outside. Frederiksen pushed for EU funding certainty through 2027, warning that Ukraine is running out of funds and cannot produce the air defence equipment it needs. The result, she said, is that 'the Russians are striking Ukrainian society much, much harder than they were not that long ago.' She also warned that Russia 'wages war against Europe every single day, directly in Ukraine and through a hybrid war against the rest of us.' The summit amounts to Europe drawing a line it has not always held: sanctions stay, accession accelerates, financial support continues — even as the US moves in the opposite direction. The question is whether declarative unity survives contact with the next budget cycle, the next energy price spike, and the next round of American pressure.
