Zelenskyy seeks EU support as US aid wavers

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting EU leaders in Brussels to secure military and financial support as uncertainty grows over continued US aid following renewed tensions with President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy's deputy chief of staff urged Europe to develop alternatives to US ballistic missile defense and Starlink satellite communications. Leaders will discuss Ukraine's $78 billion funding gap for 2027, with EU diplomats proposing to use €210 billion in frozen Russian assets. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected a US proposal to transfer those assets to Washington's control. EU leaders also failed to reach agreement on the bloc's next seven-year budget, with Sweden's prime minister saying a deal before year-end is unlikely.