Army reform to decide Ukraine's negotiating strength this summer
Photo: Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
In the event of increased external pressure in the summer of 2026, the results of army reform will play a key role in shaping negotiating positions, according to an RBC-Ukraine article.
As a source in the circle of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the outlet, in the summer of 2026, Ukraine may face new attempts at pressure from Russia and its supporters, who will seek to achieve a scenario for ending the war that is favorable to the Kremlin.
"We know that in June–July there may be many challenges due to another attempt by the Russians and those sympathetic to them to push Ukraine into 'agreeing' to an end of the war that is pleasing to Putin (Russian president Vladimir Putin - ed.)," he said.
In this context, according to the source, the effectiveness of reforms in the Armed Forces is seen as a determining factor.
"Accordingly, the more effective the army reform is, the stronger the positions in diplomacy will be, given the potential pressure that may arise," he emphasized.
Reforms in the Armed Forces
Army reform in Ukraine will start in June.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced an increase in salaries for the military and the expansion of the contract component of the army in order to, in the future, demobilize those who have been serving for a long time.
This idea was previously commented on by sociologist Oleksii Antypovych. According to him, the very concept of attracting people to the army with money, in theory, can be a way out of the current deadlock.
However, in order to remove the severity of the problem — both with mobilization and with specific terms of service — a lot of money is needed, much more than Ukraine can currently earn or receive from the West.
