Selenskyj urges EU to boost air defence and keep sanctions amid Russia pressure

At the closing of his Brussels visit, President Wolodymyr Selenskyj used a press briefing to stress that Ukraine's top priority is ending the war, which requires more air-defence missiles and unwavering EU sanctions on Russia. He warned that a recent diesel deal between the United States and Russia could trigger a cascade of concessions, threatening the sanctions regime. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa pledged to keep pressure on Moscow and to work on a new sanctions package, refusing any rollback before the conflict ends.

In separate bilateral meetings, Selenskyj discussed further F-16 aircraft and ammunition with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and secured additional munitions from French President Emmanuel Macron. He also promoted the "Freya" air-defence system, a joint European-Ukrainian project aimed at providing a cheaper alternative to Patriot batteries by year-end. While he avoided the EU accession topic, Selenskyj emphasized safeguarding frozen Russian central-bank assets to prevent Russia from reclaiming them.