Defense Ministry’s reform to-do list under new minister

[Rogue Valley]

Defense Ministry’s reform to-do list under new minister

Sailors march in downtown Kyiv during Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations on Aug. 24, 2019.

9/6/19
With the appointment of Andriy Zagorodnyuk as defense minister on Aug. 29, Ukraine’s security sector has begun a new chapter. For the first time, a top defense official was appointed Western-style: from a pool of purely civilian managers, rather than from the old post-Soviet general pool or the ossified political establishment. The new Defense Ministry now faces a tremendously long to-do list of reforms, many of which should have been accomplished long ago. In nearly all areas — from state procurement and rearmament to social security for personnel — the new ministry will have to deal with numerous problems and years of stagnation. Moreover, Zagorodnyuk’s ministry will likely be the one to report to the nation on the accomplishments of the 2020 NATO-style military reforms. The final deadline for this reform is now just 16 months away. Time is running out, but the good news is that the Zelensky team has all the leverage necessary to bring about key changes: it has full control of the Defense Ministry, the General Staff, and the parliament. From now on, the potent new Defense Ministry has no excuse for failure.

Article explains some reforms in the state defense sector that must happen sooner rather than later.