EU vows sanctions stay until Russia stops war as leaders meet Zelenskyy in Brussels
European leaders pledged continued support for Ukraine through the winter and ruled out lifting sanctions on Moscow, as Kyiv's ties with Washington fray.
At a glance
- EU leaders and Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Brussels on 16 October 2026 to discuss support for Ukraine through the winter.
- Ursula von der Leyen said the EU will not lift any sanctions unless Russia stops the war.
- Overnight Russian attacks killed at least three people in Kharkiv and cut power to 370,000 in Volyn.
European Union leaders met Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels on Friday, 16 October 2026, pledging to keep sanctions on Moscow in place and to support Ukraine through the coming winter, as relations between Kyiv and Washington continued to worsen.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen blamed Russia for violating Donald Trump's energy ceasefire and said Moscow had escalated its attacks instead. She ruled out concessions despite US pressure, saying: "One thing is absolutely clear: we will not lift any sanctions unless Russia stops the war."
European Council president António Costa said the EU's support for Ukraine "remains as strong as ever" and warned against easing pressure on Moscow. "This is no time to withdraw the support to Ukraine. This is no time to relieve Russia's sanctions," he said, calling the measures essential to pushing Russia to accept a real ceasefire, come to the negotiating table and end the war.
Overnight strikes and US tensions
The talks followed overnight Russian attacks that killed at least three people in the eastern city of Kharkiv and left 370,000 people without power in the Volyn region bordering Poland. Ukraine is struggling to repel Russian air attacks because of acute shortages of interceptor missiles, and Zelenskyy has been involved in a series of public disagreements with Trump at the White House.
Membership, loans and frozen assets
Von der Leyen said the leaders would also work on Ukraine's path into the EU by opening two further negotiating clusters before the end of the year. Irish premier Micheál Martin said the EU's €90bn loan to Ukraine should be deployed as soon as possible, alongside a "clearer landscape" on medium-term support such as immobilised assets. He recalled that an earlier push to use seized assets "came to nought in the end."
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the situation in Ukraine was "really grave", with no sign Russia wanted to stop the war or accept a truce, and that frozen Russian assets would be discussed again. The EU has agreed not to return frozen assets unless Russia pays reparations to Ukraine, she said, adding that persuading the United States to apply more pressure on Moscow is "very difficult at the moment."
Winter warnings
Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said Ukraine is running out of money and lacks equipment, particularly for air defence, and that the EU must ensure sufficient funding for 2027. She said Russia "wages war against Europe every single day" and rejected media reports that European leaders had asked Zelenskyy to tone down his criticism of Trump. Latvia's prime minister, Andris Kulbergs, said Russia had gained from higher oil revenues amid the US war with Iran and the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, and that Ukraine needs financial and military support to get through the harsh winter ahead.
Zelenskyy thanked "real leaders" for their backing and said Ukraine wants the war to end as soon as possible, but sees no signals from Russia that it is ready to do so. Leaders were also due to discuss migration and broader foreign policy.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- What did EU leaders say about sanctions on Russia at the Brussels meeting?
- Ursula von der Leyen said the EU will not lift any sanctions unless Russia stops the war. António Costa said it was no time to relieve Russia's sanctions.
- Will the EU return frozen Russian assets?
- Kaja Kallas said the EU has agreed not to return frozen Russian assets unless Russia pays reparations for Ukraine. She said the issue would be raised again.
- What happened in Ukraine overnight before the summit?
- Russian attacks killed at least three people in the eastern city of Kharkiv and left 370,000 people without power in the Volyn region bordering Poland.
