Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking on Friday, described an agreement between US President Donald Trump and Russia as misguided, characterised Moscow's approach to the negotiations as a hollow imitation of genuine peace efforts, and expressed support for a stronger European presence at the table, referring to those allies as authentic leaders. At an EU summit held in Brussels, Zelenskyy put forward the position that Russia had no genuine interest in reaching a peace agreement.
Wearing military dress during a visit to a command post, Russian President Vladimir Putin told journalists that a buffer zone would be established inside Ukrainian territory along the countries' shared border — a demand he presented as a fixed precondition for any future talks with Kyiv. Addressing senior military commanders, Putin outlined a plan to establish protective buffer zones along the border areas affected by Ukraine's cross-border incursion into the Kursk region in 2024–25, stating that securing those frontier areas on a lasting basis was the overriding objective and that the matter would not be placed on the table in any prospective talks with Kyiv.
Trump pushed back on suggestions of involvement, telling reporters that neither he nor Elon Musk bore any responsibility for Ukraine's loss of Starlink connectivity during that period — a satellite-based communications network that has formed part of the country's air-defence infrastructure against Russian attacks. Despite the recent back-and-forth between the two leaders, Trump described his ties with Zelenskyy as cordial.
Gathered in Brussels, EU leaders presented a united front in support of Zelenskyy after Trump voiced renewed opposition to Ukraine, calling its strikes on Russian oil refineries a disgrace. Zelenskyy's visit to EU leaders unfolded at a point when Russian aerial attacks on Ukrainian population centres had intensified and questions hung over whether Washington would scale back its intelligence and military assistance to Kyiv. His position toward Washington gave no indication of shifting.
Over the weekend, Trump declared that Ukraine and Russia had reached an agreement to halt strikes on each other's energy infrastructure — a statement that appeared to catch Zelenskyy off guard. With midterm elections a month away, Trump attributed rising energy prices to Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on Russian oil refineries, arguing the cost increases put his Republican party's narrow congressional majorities at risk.
Explosions struck an oil refinery situated southeast of Moscow on Thursday, the same day Zelenskyy publicly stated that Kyiv would no longer participate in the energy ceasefire framework that Trump had proposed. Zelenskyy told reporters that revenue would begin moving back into Russia through the arrangement, while also noting that the deal would fall short of counterbalancing the effects of Strait of Hormuz disruptions on global energy markets — a position that drew opposition from Ukraine and its European partners.
French President Emmanuel Macron characterised the arrangement as one that benefits no side, while separate voices raised concerns that it would funnel extra funds into sustaining the armed confrontation. Questions about what the decision actually signals have drawn varied readings from observers.
Zelenskyy stated that Putin had shown no genuine openness to negotiations in any form, characterising the Russian leader's public statements as verbal manoeuvring rather than a sincere willingness to engage. Moscow's position, conveyed through an official statement last week, held that drone strikes on the Russian capital during the previous month's parliamentary vote had set back any near-term prospect of renewed negotiations with Ukraine.
Kirill Dmitriev, who holds a role as Russia's investment envoy, told counterparts that the two countries were exploring a portfolio of collaborative ventures — among them nuclear-powered data centres — building on an earlier agreement reached over diesel supply. A Friday statement from the Kremlin indicated that Putin and Pope Leo had spoken by phone, with the two sides reaching an understanding on cooperation after the pontiff put forward a request for humanitarian supplies to reach the Russian-held Ukrainian town of Oleshky.
Zelenskyy noted that Starshield — the military-grade variant of Starlink — had seen some recovery in its operations, though full restoration remained incomplete, and that the outage had left civilian populations exposed to harm. Speaking to reporters in Washington before travelling to a rally in Georgia, Trump stated that neither he nor Elon Musk had any part in reducing the system's capability, adding that, to his knowledge, its performance remained unchanged from before. When asked about the state of his relationship with Zelenskyy, he described it as one he viewed positively.
Two industry sources told a reputable news channel that the Ryazan oil refinery had halted activity at one of its main crude distillation units after a drone strike on Thursday. In a Thursday interview on a prominent news channel, Trump described the matter as a disgrace. Footage of the strike on a refinery circulated through state media channels, with an on-record statement to accompany it — a departure from the pattern of silence that typically follows such incidents.
