Welcome to this edition of What about Ukraine?, a newsletter that helps you keep updated about what has been said recently about Ukraine in Ukraine, and in the international media.

In our weekly article translated from Ukrainian into English, we talk about civilian preparations for the challenging winter ahead, following extensive missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's energy sector. Scheduled power outages have been implemented. The Ukrainian government is securing emergency energy imports from the EU, but the risk is so significant that the population must also prepare. Self-organisation among residents in high density blocks seems to be the key to joining government programmes and receiving support from international donors.

This edition also addresses the energy issue from the perspective of Bulgaria, which has begun constructing the "Vertical Gas Corridor," an infrastructure project that will connect various eastern European countries with Ukraine to transport liquefied gas. Meanwhile, France has announced the dispatch of Mirage 2000-5 jets to Kyiv, and Italy is debating whether its constitution allows Rome to arm Ukraine.

In Hungary, recent polls show a narrow but important majority supporting Kyiv against Moscow's invasion. Germany has finally approved the use of military equipment on Russian soil, lifting a red line that had limited Ukraine's capabilities. In Spain, a one billion euro military aid agreement for 2024 has been signed by Volodymyr Zelensky, as concerns mount over NATO-shipped weapons allegedly ending up in the hands of the mafia.

For many Europeans, summer is about to begin, but war does not take a vacation.

Fermín Torrano
Editor of this week's edition

"It is worth preparing for another difficult wartime winter," writes Channel 5 correspondent Serhiy Barbu, as Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy sector have destroyed 9 GW of its power capacity (of a 2022 capacity totalling 50 GW). Consequently, Ukraine's power plants are unable to produce enough energy, forcing state energy transmission company Ukrenergo to implement scheduled outages. To address the deficit, the government is securing imports and emergency aid from the EU.

However, consumers must also prepare, especially residents of apartment buildings. For better management, they have the opportunity to unite into associations of co-owners of apartment buildings, known as condo boards. Ukraine has more than 180,000 apartment buildings, but only about 20 percent have created such associations. Why should they form condo boards? Because this is the only way to participate in government programmes to restore damaged housing, and it is also a condition for cooperation with international donors who co-finance such projects. With condo boards, residents can jointly set up shelters, purchase fire extinguishers, insulate walls and reduce the overall energy and gas consumption of the building.

"During the war, more than 3,000 associations have already been established. People need to understand that this is their property, and they are the ones responsible for its upkeep," says Yulia Sabatiuk, an expert in housing and communal services.

This piece was originally published by LB.ua, one of Ukraine's major independent online media outlets. Translated by Tetiana Evloeva.

Bulgaria

In early June, the Bulgarian government signed documents to officially begin the construction of the "Vertical Gas Corridor", which will connect various eastern European countries with Ukraine, transporting liquefied gas from the USA, Azerbaijan, and Egypt. Initiated by Sofia, the project aims to enhance energy interconnection in the region. "With the planned halt to Russian gas supplies through Ukraine scheduled for 2025, the 'Vertical Gas Corridor' will become a central valuable infrastructure for the entire region, guaranteeing our energy independence," said the caretaker prime minister Dimitar Glavchev after signing. (Obektivno)

The forum of countries from NATO's so-called "eastern front", known as the "Bucharest 9" and held in Riga on the 11 June, ended without a common position on Ukraine, partly due to Bulgarian president Rumen Radev. Radev, who has faced criticism at home for his perceived pro-Russian stance, stated in a press conference that he insisted on removing any obligation for participating countries to provide military aid to Kyiv. "On my personal initiative, the final document was amended by specifying that it is up to each country to evaluate whether and how to help Ukraine militarily or with economic and humanitarian aid," Radev said. (Mediapool)

The general election campaign in Bulgaria, where both parliamentary and European elections were held last week, was marked by disinfo on the possibility of Sofia sending troops to Ukraine. This perspective, currently without a legal basis, was presented as realistic by various parties traditionally close to the Kremlin, such as the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the nationalist movement "Vazrazhdane", and partially by the centre-right party GERB, which won the elections. Analysts interviewed by Svobodna Evropa, suggested that speculation about Bulgaria's direct involvement in the conflict was clearly used for electoral purposes, although it did not significantly impact voter preferences. (Svobodna Evropa)

Germany 

Russia linked to fake celebrity posts against Ukraine

Shared images with fake quotes against Ukraine attributed to German celebrities have been circulating online, in what appears to be another Russian disinfo campaign. Examples include actor Til Schweiger's image with the statement "Ukrainian officials are buying real estate in France and Italy" and actor Jannis Niewöhner's image claiming "the USA is not harmed, but Europe is" by the war in Ukraine. Rammstein's Till Lindemann was falsely quoted saying "aid to Ukraine is pointless". These statements were never made. FAZ writes that the fake quotes are linked to the Russian ‘Doppelgänger campaign’ uncovered in 2022.

The third international Ukraine Recovery Conference began in Berlin on Tuesday, with around 2,000 participants from politics, business and international organisations. The event was opened by Chancellor Scholz and President Zelensky, and aims to coordinate and secure financing for reconstruction projects, addressing investment risks in a war zone. German Development Minister Schulze emphasised the importance of immediate action despite ongoing conflict. "Ukraine has no choice. It can't wait until the war ends," he said (Deutschlandfunk). Zelensky, during his Berlin visit, advocated for more delivery of weapons and defence support with Scholz, which he also addressed during his appearance in the Bundestag, while representatives of the far-right party AfD and BSW tried to boycott the visit. (Tagesschau) 

German chancellor Olaf Scholz finally permitted Ukraine to use German-supplied weapons against targets in Russia, aligning his position with that of the USA, the UK and France. Head of the Berlin Spiegel office Christoph Hickmann, argues how it was necessary to shift this "deep red line" to reflect the evolving realities of the conflict. He criticises the previous restriction as "really out of touch with reality and cynical," as it limited Ukraine's defensive capabilities. Scholz still restricts more powerful weaponry like the Taurus missile, fearing it "could theoretically strike Moscow". In the article, Scholz is advised to adopt a more flexible strategy, similar to French President Macron's principle of strategic ambiguity, to remain unpredictable and adaptable in the conflict. (Spiegel) 

Hungary

A narrow majority support Ukraine, but not militarily

A narrow majority of Hungarians agree to support Ukraine, according to a survey by the Hungarian research centre Závecz Research, made on behalf of the news portal 24.hu. 32 percent of respondents agree to be partners in financial, economic or humanitarian assistance, while only 16 percent would send weapons and other military equipment. This combines to 48 percent, compared to the 46 percent of Hungarians who think that the EU should not support Ukraine (the remainder did not answer the question) (24.hu). Another recent survey shows that Hungarians do not really like the idea of cooperation between Hungary and Russia. When asked which of the three countries listed should Hungary cooperate more closely, 59 percent of respondents said Germany, 17 percent said the United States and 10 percent said Russia. (24.hu)

It would be beneficial for Hungary to support Ukraine's integration into the EU, argues Valery Drotenko, economist and one of the leaders of the 2014 Euromaidan Revolution, in an interview with Magyar Hang. If both Serbia and Ukraine were to join the EU, the conflicts caused by Hungarian minorities living in the neighbouring countries would disappear, since the Hungarians would no longer be separated by borders and could integrate to the maximum extent. The second reason is economic: it would significantly expand the market for Hungarian products, which would further raise living standards. (Magyar Hang)

Days before the EU elections, the Hungarian public media published a video claiming that  western European leaders want to plunge Europe into nuclear war with Russia. As German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron are shown on camera, the video said "Europe's war-mad, powerful rulers have pushed the continent to the brink of nuclear war" and "Europe's butchers are already on the point of bringing back conscription, and even extending it to women". The conscription claim, repeated during the campaign in the Hungarian pro-government media, has never been made by western European politicians. The EU has no power to introduce such a measure. (Telex) 

Italy

Constitution rejects war, but not for legitimate defence

Does the Italian constitution prohibit Rome from supplying Ukraine with weapons to attack Russian targets? Several ministers have argued that the text forbids it. Article 11 of the Constitution rejects war as a means of resolving international disputes and only permits defensive actions, an analysis in Pagella Politica explains. However it also refers to international law, which doesn’t ban the use of force to assist a country exercising legitimate defence, nor does it impose limits on the use of donated weapons. Italy has the possibility to restrict their use, but it would be a matter of political discretion. So, Ukraine's use of weapons on Russian soil for defensive purposes is not explicitly prohibited. (Pagella Politica)

Italian military aid to Ukraine is classified. There is an obligation for the minister of defence, to inform a committee of the parliament, but its members are also bound by confidentiality. Replying to a parliamentary inquiry by the populist 5 Stars Movement, defence minister Guido Crosetto suggested partially making public the information about the military supply for Ukraine. Transparency and the extent of military aid to Ukraine has become a crucial topic, highlights an article in Il Sole 24 Ore, especially with the forthcoming approval of the ninth military aid package. (Il Sole 24 Ore)

PM Giorgia Meloni has to take on a huge diplomatic responsibility as part of the Italian presidency of the G7, as she hosts a summit in Apulia between 13 and 15 June. She urgently needs to mediate with her friend Viktor Orban, the Hungarian PM, to prevent him from blocking an agreement on using profits from frozen Russian assets in European banks to help Ukraine. Among different international assemblies - the NATO Summit in July and the informal summit of the 27 EU leaders - the ongoing G7 aims to secure unanimous EU approval for the sanctions plan against Russia by the end of June, before Hungary takes on the presidency of the Council the EU. (La Stampa)

Spain

Billion-euro weapons deal overshadowed by arms traffic concerns 

A one billion euro agreement in Spanish military aid to Ukraine for 2024 was signed by Volodymyr Zelensky in Madrid on 27 May. This new economic package is four times larger than the total amount contributed by Spain since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Both countries are also committed to a minimum of ten years of military and civil cooperation, with the extent depending on the reality of the conflict. While individual items have not been specified, new Patriot missiles, C-90 anti-tank launchers, armoured vehicles, and 19 2A4 Leopards are expected to be part of the package. For the first time, the dispatch will include new material from the Spanish military industry, not just old weaponry. (El Confidencial)

Meanwhile, the Spanish police have warned about the use of NATO assault rifles by the mafia in southern Spain. According to the Guardia Civil, the amount of weapons has increased since the full-scale invasion began, and they believe some arms originally destined for Ukraine are ending up in the hands of criminals in Europe. However, no evidence has been provided (El Español). The scandal has been significant enough that the same media outlet that reported the exclusive published a testimony from a Spanish soldier in Ukraine, who, with name, face, and military unit, explained how he witnessed big arms shipments disappearing in his regiment. (El Español)

Spain, along with 12 other European countries, has called on the presidency of the EU Council to adopt the negotiating frameworks for the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the EU this June. Initiated by the Czech Republic, this process will both trigger and accelerate the accession procedure for these two countries. According to diplomatic sources, Hungary is reportedly the main opponent blocking the move. (The Objective)

France

Russia absent, Ukraine present at 80-year Normandy anniversary

President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision to send Mirage 2000-5 jets to Ukraine, as he welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky to Paris last week (Le Figaro). Without going into details, Macron announced that specific Ukrainian pilot training should start "this summer". He also mentioned that France was trying to convince other countries to provide Mirage 2000-5 jets to Ukraine (Le Figaro). Military experts say that this promise will only have a limited impact on the Ukrainian army, but a detrimental effect on the French army, which only owns 26 jets of this kind. (Challenges)

France commemorated the 1944 Normandy (D-Day) landings on 6 June with representatives of most Allied countries, including the Ukrainian President. Russia was not invited because of its ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine (Le Figaro). A far-right RN MP regretted Russia's absence, arguing that it could have been an opportunity to explore possible "ways out of the conflict" (Le Nouvel Observateur). 14 French ambulances driven by Spanish, French and Ukrainian volunteers also attended the event. They stopped to collect donations before leaving for Ukraine, where the ambulances will be sent to the front. (France Bleu Cotentin)

"European defence in time of war in Ukraine" is a new book by the journalist Nicolas Gros-Verheyde, detailing the critical nature of the two year conflict. In an interview with the weekly Le Nouvel Observateur, he depicts the Russian-Ukrainian war as a decisive turn in European politics: "For the first time, defence issues are at the top of the European agenda." He says that the EU community budget had been dedicated to military research and development before the full-scale invasion, and now goes for the first time to "fund the purchase of lethal weapons, from missiles to ammunition". Gros-Verheyde predicts a possible decrease in support for Ukraine by the EU population, but not a decrease in the development of the EU Defence system. (Le Nouvel Observateur)

The Europe-Ukraine Desk curated this newsletter. This week's edition has been composed by our team all over Europe: Marika Ikonomu, Kornelia Kiss, Katarina Kukla, Sarah Lou Lepers, Oksana Mamchenkova, Francesco Martino, Antonina Rybka and Fermin Torrano.
Michael Bird was our proofreader. 

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