Ukraine’s political life this week is focused on the financial support of the army and preparations for key international negotiations in Europe. As reported by the information portal 34.ua , the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has generally adopted strategic draft law No. 15224 on introducing large-scale changes to the State Budget for 2026. The decision was supported by 242 people’s deputies.
The main thrust of the document is an unprecedented increase in spending on the security and defense sector by 1.56 trillion hryvnias . This funding was made possible by attracting long-term macro-financial assistance from the European Union, as well as internal redistribution of state revenues.
Where will UAH 1.56 trillion be directed and what reforms will be launched in the army?
Additional financial resources will be distributed among key law enforcement agencies to ensure uninterrupted logistics, procurement, and payments. According to the approved budget changes:
The Ministry of Defense will receive the lion’s share of funds to finance a large-scale reform of the Armed Forces’ financial support, which started on June 1. The new system provides for differentiated payments depending on combat experience and the nature of the tasks (the minimum for rear positions is from UAH 30,000, for infantrymen on the front line, special contracts from UAH 250,000 to UAH 400,000 are being introduced);
The State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection will receive UAH 4.8 billion to strengthen cybersecurity and protect critical state registers;
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) will receive an additional UAH 2.5 billion and UAH 1.8 billion, respectively, to finance special operations and technical re-equipment.
In parallel with the financial changes, the Ministry of Defense began a complete reboot of the system of Military Medical Commissions (MMCs) at the Military Medical Center – in June, more than 130 heads of commissions were already reassigned in order to digitalize examinations and eliminate corruption risks.
International context: European Council convenes June summit on Ukraine
Domestic political decisions are being synchronized with the European track. European Council President António Costa officially announced the convening of the next EU leaders’ summit in Brussels, which will take place on June 18–19 .
The main and priority issue on the agenda will be long-term support for Ukraine. A direct speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected at the meeting of EU leaders. In addition to coordinating military assistance, European leaders plan to approve the framework of the new long-term EU budget for 2028–2034, where financing for Ukrainian integration and security programs will play a leading role.
Expert opinions and current sociological insights
Yaroslav Zheleznyak, People’s Deputy of Ukraine, Deputy Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Verkhovna Rada:
“The adoption of these changes to the budget is a matter of the survival of our state and the stability of the front. One and a half trillion hryvnias is a colossal sum that completely covers the needs for financial support for the military and the purchase of domestically produced weapons until the end of this year. We were able to pass this vote quickly thanks to the clear position of Western donors, who lent a shoulder and provided direct budget support. Now the main task is strict control over every penny through specialized committees and the Accounting Chamber.”
Oleksiy Antipovych, political analyst, sociologist:
“The political background within the country remains stable. Recent June research by KIIS shows that the level of trust in basic government institutions and key figures has been fixed. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is currently trusted by 61% of citizens, which demonstrates the stability of public consensus compared to spring indicators. Traditionally, Ukrainians demonstrate a high level of trust in the military leadership and representatives of the defense sector. This gives the authorities the necessary mandate to carry out unpopular but important reforms, such as changing the rules for reserving employees by salary level, which also came into effect this month.”