Europe Rallies Behind Ukraine as Russian Losses Mount to 1,000 Per Day

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces are losing no fewer than 1,000 soldiers per day, as European allies announce a multinational force to bolster Ukraine's defences.

"This is how Russia is essentially paying just to keep the war from ending. This is madness and it can only be stopped by combined forces," Zelenskyy said in a statement on social media.

Europe Pledges Unprecedented Support

The European Union has committed €90 billion in loans for 2026-2027, bringing total EU support for Ukraine to €216 billion since the full-scale invasion began. Analysts say the funding package removes uncertainty about Ukraine's staying power and disrupts the timeline Vladimir Putin had hoped for.

France, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine signed a declaration of intent on January 6 stating that Paris and London intend to deploy armed forces to Ukraine as part of a multinational peacekeeping force. The force would participate in deterrence operations across land, sea, and air.

Growing Coalition

European leaders indicated that Belgium will contribute to coalition obligations in the sea and air. Sweden has offered Gripen fighter jets for aerial surveillance and maritime resources for Black Sea demining. Germany, Spain, and Lithuania may deploy ground forces after hostilities cease.

Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski pushed back against claims that Western support provoked Russian aggression. "The US didn't declare war on Germany when Hitler invaded Poland. Likewise, it's Russia that invaded Ukraine, not the other way around," Sikorski wrote in response to commentators who blamed NATO expansion.

Russian Losses Mount

According to former CIA director William Burns, Russia has suffered 1.1 million casualties since the invasion began. Independent investigations by BBC News Russian and Mediazona have documented over 163,000 confirmed Russian military deaths as of mid-January.

Russian forces reportedly cannot simultaneously replace battlefield losses and build strategic reserves. Production of armoured fighting vehicles has failed to keep pace with wartime attrition.

Hungary Stands Apart

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has criticised the scale of European support for Ukraine, calling it unsustainable. "Ukraine is asking for €800 billion over the next decade, not counting military costs," Orban said, arguing that Budapest should not dismantle domestic programmes to fund Kyiv.

Orban's stance has put Hungary at odds with most EU member states. Budapest recently blocked a joint EU statement on Greenland, further isolating itself within the bloc.

Civilian Infrastructure Under Attack

Zelenskyy stated that Russia launched more than 200 drone attacks to "bring the war into the New Year," targeting civilian and energy infrastructure. Ukraine's generating capacity has fallen from 33.7 GW at the start of the invasion to about 14 GW.

South Korea has delivered emergency generators to Ukraine, already being installed in Kyiv following massive Russian drone attacks that caused blackouts across the capital.

The European Model

The contrast between European solidarity and Hungarian obstruction illustrates the EU's ongoing challenge: maintaining unity while respecting national sovereignty. Despite disagreements, the bloc has delivered the largest coordinated aid package in its history.

Russia has called the European peacekeeping plan "dangerous" and dubbed Kyiv and its allies an "axis of war." Such rhetoric suggests Moscow recognises the threat a united Europe poses to its ambitions.