Ukraine Regains War Initiative in 2026 as Europe Urged to Expand Support
Updated
Updated · Atlantic Council · Aug 3
Ukraine Regains War Initiative in 2026 as Europe Urged to Expand Support
3 articles · Updated · Atlantic Council · Aug 3
Summary
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine has wrested the battlefield initiative from Russia, opening what supporters describe as a temporary chance to press Moscow toward negotiations.
2026 fighting has favored Kyiv because Russian forces have struggled to advance while taking record casualties, and Ukrainian drone strikes have disrupted logistics, isolated Crimea and hit fuel and industrial targets inside Russia.
European leaders are being urged to move quickly with more funding for Ukrainian troops, training, rehabilitation and battlefield medicine, while scaling up long-term financing for Ukraine’s defense production and access to critical technologies.
The appeal reflects lessons from late 2022, when Western fears of escalation slowed support after Kharkiv and Kherson, giving Russia time to mobilize, fortify and recover before Ukraine’s next major offensive.
With the Trump administration no longer willing since early 2025 to carry the main burden, the coming months are framed as a test of Europe’s strategic autonomy, sanctions enforcement and political unity.