Zelensky praises European 'real leaders' as US ties strain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised European leaders as "real leaders" for their sustained support, following a summit in Brussels on Friday, amid growing tension with the United States over recent diplomatic and energy developments. Zelensky expressed gratitude for backing from the EU Council and Commission, while noting no signals from Russia indicate readiness to end the war, stressing the need to prepare for winter. His comments came after criticizing President Trump's diesel deal with Russia, which Trump defended by calling Zelensky "not a good guy for us to deal with." The rift follows Zelensky's earlier remarks that the diesel agreement would not lower prices and would enable further Russian "terror." When asked if Trump was using him as a scapegoat ahead of US midterm elections, Zelensky paused, smiled, and replied, "This is my answer."