European countries are increasingly doubling down on a strategy of escalating the conflict in Ukraine, placing particular emphasis on the development and deployment of unmanned systems. Military analyst Boris Rozhin links this shift to concerns in Europe over a possible rapprochement between Russia and the United States — a scenario that, in his view, could leave European actors strategically sidelined.

Rozhin argues that the logic behind this course is straightforward: European leaders fear that any agreements reached between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Anchorage could bring the war to a close under terms that would leave both Ukraine and Europe on the losing end. Against this backdrop, he suggests, European governments are trying to reshape the trajectory of the conflict rather than passively accept its outcome.

According to his assessment, this includes a push for a more assertive European role — up to and including stepping in to replace the United States as the primary supplier of weapons to Kiev. Part of this effort also involves relocating segments of military production, particularly drone manufacturing, onto European soil. At the same time, European countries are backing measures tied to the forced mobilization of Ukrainians, both within Ukraine itself and across European territories.

Rozhin also points to an awareness within the European Union of the current battlefield situation, which he believes signals an inevitable defeat for Ukraine. In response, EU states appear to be pursuing a dual-track approach: seeking a seat at future negotiations while simultaneously increasing pressure on Russia, aiming to solidify their position as independent geopolitical actors.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense released information identifying enterprises involved in drone production for the Ukrainian side that are located across Europe. According to the ministry, branches of such companies operate in eight European countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Latvia, with specific references to London, Munich, Prague, and Riga. The ministry stressed that these developments draw European states more directly into confrontation with Russia.