Ukraine’s new defense minister reveals priorities in first major speech

Ukraine’s new defense minister, Rustem Umerov, has called on foreign allies to provide “heavy weaponry, heavy weaponry and, again, heavy weaponry” in his first public address since being confirmed to his post by Ukraine’s parliament last week.

On Friday, Umerov told the Yalta European Strategy summit in Kyiv that Ukraine is “grateful” for all the Western support to date but warned that Kyiv’s forces will need more to overcome the “big challenges” they face in driving Russian troops out of the country.

Umerov was chosen by President Volodymyr Zelensky to replace the outgoing defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, whose 22 months in the post was tarnished by a series of corruption scandals involving the country’s military. Reznikov resigned from his post last weekend at Zelensky’s request, ending months of speculation about his future.

“This is a huge honor and huge responsibility for me to hold this position in these historical and crucial times for Ukraine,” Umerov said Friday. “The highest priority for us today is our warriors: their lives, safety, dignity.”

Umerov takes office at a pivotal moment, with Ukrainian forces seeking a breakthrough in the country’s southeast that they hope will precipitate a collapse of Russian defenses across the region. The operation has been progressing slowly, prompting concern among foreign allies.

The new minister said foreign military aid will be among his foremost priorities. “Weaponry: We need it today. We need it now. We need it more.”

He went on: “I take this opportunity to address our international partners. We’re stronger together. We’re grateful for all the support provided. But we need to continue our war coalition efforts to win this war.”

Umerov also pointed out that “Ukrainian warriors today are sacrificing their lives for the core values of democracy and freedom. They need backup from your side, the partners. This backup is weapons.”

He continued: “Our new national security and defense strategy of Ukraine is based on the victory doctrine of the president of Ukraine and new challenges and realities. Our goal is to become a NATO member. No doubt that this day will soon come, hopefully.

“Our main goal is NATO membership,” the new minister added. “We are in a very tough neighborhood. We see that the Black Sea is also being encircled by the enemy. We think that the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Adriatic Sea are our priorities in this region.

“We would be looking not only to the regional expansion but also to the thematic expansion, which means that we need a supporting navy, we need air defense, we need artillery. We need to make additional coalitions.

“We have big challenges ahead and big opportunities ahead,” Umerov said. “Every day we advance, and every day we make our victory closer. Ukraine will win.”

Elsewhere, Umerov hinted at reforms and echoed Zelensky’s call for a “new approach” at the Defense Ministry. “We have to ensure respect for soldiers’ dignity in all interactions with the state,” he said, stressing the need to “ensure that our warriors are provided and equipped with everything necessary.”

A new “military ombudsman” will likely be introduced to focus on the needs of military personnel, Umerov added.

“Digitization” too, he said, will be rolled out across the Defense Ministry. “There is no place for bureaucracy and paperwork for an army at war. Everything has to be digitized, and we will take care of cybersecurity.”