Zelensky says Ukraine has right to defend itself after Trump calls latest strikes a 'disgrace'
Source: BBC World ↗ (cross-verified by 3 outlets — full list below)
President Volodymyr Zelensky told an EU summit in Brussels that he would “stand up for Ukraine’s interests” after former U.S. president Donald Trump denounced Kyiv’s recent strikes on Russian oil refineries as a “disgrace” and claimed the Ukrainian leader was “more difficult to work with than [Russian President Vladimir] Putin.” Trump, who recently struck a deal to import 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel into the United States and global markets, said the attacks would raise world oil prices and hinder the deal. Zelensky, angered by the diesel arrangement and by U.S. curbs on the Starlink satellite network that supports Ukraine’s battlefield communications, replied that if he did not defend his country, “who else will?” while urging European leaders to provide the €70 billion in defense funding he said Ukraine needs for the coming winter.
The summit highlighted Ukraine’s dire financial and military shortfalls as the war enters its fifth winter. Zelensky warned that the conflict will cost €155 billion next year and that, despite the ability to produce three times more drones, Ukraine lacks the money to do so. A chronic shortage of U.S.-made Patriot missiles leaves Ukrainian towns vulnerable, and while Zelensky believes Europe possesses enough interceptors for the winter, they are being delivered piecemeal. He also noted that many Americans “with good hearts” still want to be allies, even as the relationship with Washington frays over the diesel deal, the threatened withholding of intelligence sharing, and the recent restrictions on Starlink that left Ukrainian civilians and forces exposed to un‑warned Russian strikes.
Trump’s criticism reflects a broader deterioration in U.S.–Ukraine ties, with the former president accusing Zelensky of inflating oil prices and refusing to settle with Russia. He framed the conflict as a personal hatred between the two leaders that hampers diplomacy, and suggested that Ukraine’s continued targeting of Russian refineries jeopardizes the diesel import agreement intended to lower fuel costs ahead of the U.S. mid‑term elections. Zelensky responded at the summit’s press conference with a grin, later describing the diesel deal as a “gift to Putin” that would funnel money into the Russian war effort. The episode underscores the precarious balance Ukraine must strike between securing Western support, maintaining its own defense capabilities, and navigating a strained partnership with its most powerful ally.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economylow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Overseas suppliers may subtly rethink their pricing after news like this.
- ▶Economies far from the headline can still catch the aftershocks.
🏙️Local Economylow impact
What this means for you
- ▶The knock-on for local trade is usually gradual rather than sudden.
- ▶Your town's economy tends to catch up with big headlines eventually.
🏦Rates & Banksmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Financial markets sometimes overreact to rate speculation before banks even respond.
- ▶Your loan or mortgage rate is more likely to drift than to lurch here.
❤️Healthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Looking after mental health is worth it when headlines feel heavy.
- ▶Day-to-day stress can creep up if this starts touching familiar routines.
💷Wealthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Nest eggs can wobble briefly before finding their footing again.
- ▶It's rarely wise to make big financial decisions purely on breaking news.
🏠Housinglow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Buyers and renters might notice only a soft drift, if anything at all.
- ▶A cooling or warming market usually takes months to fully show up in prices.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.