KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — More than a dozen senior European leaders gathered in Ukraine’s capital on Tuesday to demonstrate solidarity on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion — a somber landmark in a war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and heightened fears across Europe about the breadth of Moscow’s ambitions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy struck a resolute tone despite the immense human and material losses, declaring that Russia has neither “broken Ukrainians” nor secured victory.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine has endured the assault from Russia’s larger and better-armed military, which over the past year managed to seize only 0.79% of Ukrainian territory, based on figures from the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

“When we look back to the first days of the invasion and compare them to today, we can confidently say: we have defended our independence and preserved our state,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “failed to reach his objectives.”

“He has not broken Ukrainians; he has not won this war,” Zelenskyy said.

Talks are no closer to peace

Yet as the grinding war of attrition moves into its fifth year, diplomatic efforts led by the United States to end Europe’s largest armed conflict since World War II appear no nearer to producing the compromises necessary for peace.

Sticking points remain over the future of the Donbas, the industrial region in eastern Ukraine largely occupied by Russian forces but not fully controlled, and over the security guarantees Kyiv insists upon to prevent another invasion once the fighting stops.

A recent estimate from the Center for Strategic and International Studies suggested that by spring the number of soldiers killed, wounded, or missing on both sides could approach 2 million. Russia, the report noted, has suffered the highest troop losses of any major power in a conflict since World War II.

European governments view the outcome of the war as directly tied to their own security, amid concerns about Putin’s broader strategic aims. They have pressed to be included in negotiations currently being facilitated by Washington.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote on X that “for four years, every day and night has been a nightmare for Ukrainians — and not only for them, but for all of us. War has returned to Europe.”

“We will bring it to an end only by standing strong together, because Ukraine’s fate is inseparable from ours,” he added.

Putin’s dangerous gamble

Western officials and analysts say Putin is wagering that time favors his larger military and that Western backing for Ukraine will weaken, eventually undermining Kyiv’s resistance.

French President Emmanuel Macron, however, described the conflict as “a triple failure for Russia: militarily, economically, and strategically.”

According to Macron, the war has reinforced NATO — the very alliance whose expansion Moscow sought to halt — unified European nations Russia hoped to divide, and exposed the weakness of what he characterized as an outdated imperial vision.

For Ukrainian civilians, the war has brought profound hardship. Persistent aerial bombardments have torn apart communities and frequently left homes without electricity or running water.

The conflict has also drawn in countries far beyond the region, giving it global repercussions and contributing to shortages, food insecurity, and political instability in vulnerable parts of the world.

While NATO members have supplied Ukraine with significant assistance, Russia has received support from North Korea, which has provided thousands of troops and artillery shells; from Iran, which has supplied drone technology; and from China, which U.S. officials and analysts say has delivered machine tools and microchips.

A war with global dimensions

European officials visiting Kyiv on Tuesday included European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, along with seven prime ministers and four foreign ministers.

The sole American representative listed among the official guests was Lt. Gen. Curtis Buzzard, a U.S. officer serving as NATO’s representative in Ukraine.

Because Ukraine cannot sustain its defense without external support, NATO countries are continuing military assistance, in some cases purchasing American-made weapons after the Trump administration shifted policy and halted direct arms deliveries from Washington to Kyiv.

The European Union has also provided substantial financial aid, though internal disagreements have occasionally surfaced, particularly from Hungary and Slovakia.

British Armed Forces Minister Al Carns described Russia’s invasion as “the most defining conflict” of recent decades.

“At the outset, I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the scale of what would unfold,” he said.

Carns added that the war has triggered a “revolution in military affairs,” especially with the rapid advancement of drone warfare on both sides. He noted that drones are now responsible for the majority of battlefield casualties.

On Tuesday, the United Kingdom announced a new package of military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The initiative includes deploying British military medical teams to provide mentoring within Ukraine, drawing on combat medical experience gained in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rebuilding Ukraine after years of destruction is projected to cost nearly $588 billion over the coming decade, according to assessments by the World Bank, the European Commission, the United Nations, and the Ukrainian government.

That figure is close to three times Ukraine’s estimated nominal GDP for the previous year, the joint report stated.