Mr. Zelensky met European leaders in Copenhagen on October 2.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on October 2 attended a summit of European leaders in Copenhagen, Denmark, to consolidate support from key allies after US President Donald Trump cut aid to Kiev.
The conference, which brought together nearly 50 heads of state and government, focused on a proposal to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine, along with efforts to strengthen Europe's common defense.
President Zelensky's presence in Copenhagen comes as Europe is trying to strengthen its defenses and build a "drone wall" to counter what it sees as a threat from Moscow.
Recent mysterious drone incidents in Denmark, along with aerial incursions in Estonia and Poland, have raised concerns about the risk of a wider Russia-Ukraine conflict.
One of the key issues at the summit was a proposal to use 140 billion euros in frozen Russian assets to provide a new loan to Kiev. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels would "intensify" negotiations on the proposal.
"Support for Ukraine is a direct investment in our own security," Prime Minister Frederiksen stressed.
Notably, European leaders are also looking for opportunities to cooperate with Ukraine to leverage its battle-tested experience in drone technology to bolster their own defenses.
Efforts to shore up solidarity and support for Ukraine are facing major obstacles from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of US President Donald Trump's strongest supporters in the EU.
As he headed into the summit, President Zelensky urged the EU to “keep its promise” to promote membership for Ukraine. However, Mr Orban expressed doubts about Kiev’s prospects for joining the bloc, saying “no” when asked if Ukraine had a chance of joining the EU soon. Mr Orban argued that Ukraine’s entry would risk war and divert EU money to Ukraine.
The Hungarian leader has also opposed EU efforts to end oil and gas purchases from Russia. Mr Trump has previously demanded that NATO allies stop buying fossil fuels from Moscow before he imposes further sanctions.
Hungary, along with Slovakia, are the rare EU countries that still import oil from Russia via pipeline.
President Zelensky had to use a videoconference to send a message to EU leaders, expressing hope that allies would listen to "common signals" and not choose relations with Russia over Europe and the US.
In Copenhagen, Mr. Zelensky is expected to hold talks and a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, continuing a crucial diplomatic effort to maintain Western support.
