Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with other leaders at the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, on October 02, 2025. President Zelenskyy attended the summit to rally support for Ukraine in the conflict with Russia. His appeal has come amid ongoing challenges in securing support, specifically from European Union member states.
Zelenskyy highlights the urgent need for support in the conflict with Russia
At the summit, President Zelenskyy pleaded for support, stating that Europe should “keep its promises” regarding Ukraine’s integration and support. President Zelenskyy has gone on to express that Ukraine is in desperate need of aid. The country serves as a physical and metaphorical frontline for Europe against Russia’s hybrid warfare, such as drones, sabotage, and cyberattacks; hence, the need for coordinated support.
Ukraine’s leader hopes European nations will sever ties with Russia, specifically political, military, and energy connections. European leaders have recently contemplated using the €140 billion in frozen Russian assets to provide loans to Kyiv; however, other markets are still in debate.
Many nations are still considering whether to get involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict
As President Zelenskyy mentions military support, the leader warns that the United States is shifting towards Asia, and the responsibility to assist Ukraine has fallen into the hands of European nations. The summit highlighted the difficulties in implementing supportive measures, as some countries continue to weigh their domestic interests against the collective responsibilities of Europe.
Europe is ready to intensify sanctions to confront Russia’s use of hybrid warfare against Ukraine
Not only have the actions of Russia impacted Ukraine directly, but Russia’s drone, cyberattack, and sabotage threats have escalated and spread across Denmark, Poland, and across Europe.
After the violation of Poland’s airspace by the use of drones, Poland invoked the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Article 4 on September 10, 2025. With the initiation of Article 4, Poland pushed for the incident to be assessed. Possible outcomes are:
- The reinforcement of the alliance’s defense (bolstering air and missile defense capabilities)
- The coordination of a united political response (such as increased NATO involvement)
- Energy and logistics sanctions on Russia (such as on the market’s shadow-fleet operations). France’s President Emmanuel Macron warned that shadow-fleet operations are funding between 30% and 40% of Russia’s war efforts.
- Security enhancements to protect summit venues and airspace (such as radar systems deployed in Copenhagen, Denmark)
European cohesion results: Financial, legal, and political hurdles
At the summit, President Zelenskyy directed his appeal using moral obligation and strategic necessity in order to convince his international counterparts. Europe is considering using Russia’s frozen assets of €140 billion for Ukraine. The challenge here is to do so without disrespecting Russia’s sovereign immunity. This immunity protects the Russian Central Bank’s assets. Thus, the European Union has proposed a “Reparations Loan”, a financial initiative that will support Ukraine’s reconstruction, as well as military needs.
Other hurdles block the deployment of assistance to Ukraine, such as the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán suggesting that any further European Union involvement and aid risks “war entering the bloc”. Prime Minister Orbán is defending his country as Hungary continues to import oil from Russia, an act of resistance to EU sanctions against Moscow, Russia. This is an issue as it prevents the EU from taking collective action against Russia, despite widespread calls across Europe for action.
The European Political Community summit in Copenhagen on October 2, 2025, marks a significant turning point toward increased confrontation with Russia. The sanctions on energy and shadow-fleets are built on the back of Russia’s continued hybrid attacks on Ukraine, and with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s appeal for aid, Europe stands at a crossroads: will the continent sever ties with Russia completely? The upcoming weeks will surely reveal.