Trump's Zelensky Jab Splits Europe as Drones Pound Ukraine

Donald Trump told an EU summit in Brussels that Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky is harder to deal with than Russia's Vladimir Putin, just as Zelensky was in the building seeking fresh support from European leaders. The Kremlin wasted no time endorsing the line, saying it fully agrees with Trump's latest comments about Zelensky, a response that sharpened fears in European capitals that Washington and Moscow are now reading from the same script. The pushback came fast. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected the comparison outright, arguing Kyiv needs the frozen Russian state assets to keep fighting since Ukraine is running out of money. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala went further, accusing Trump of betraying Europe through his dealings with Putin. Yet the summit made no breakthrough on seizing those assets: Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo cited legal complications and a lack of consensus. On the ground, the war answered any talk of an easy peace. Russian Banderol drones tore into Bakhmach in the Chernihiv region, wrecking buildings and injuring residents, while other strikes hit shopping centers in Rivne and Sumy, with casualties in Sumy. The Black Sea stayed just as dangerous, with Romania still searching for seven sailors missing after a drone hit a tanker, and Bulgaria asking NATO for a full set of anti-drone defenses after the attacks on shipping there.