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.

Who would have thought a pandemic and Russian full-scale invasion would not stop Ukrainian publishing houses from flourishing? This is the surprising observation by the Ukrainian independent media Chytomo, in an article we translated this week into English. Literature is also a topic in Italy with Ukrainian writer Andrei Kurkov appearing in La Repubblica, and Bulgarian poet Yordan Eftimov presenting in Odesa his latest book about the war after the full-scale invasion.

Channels for spreading Russian propaganda in European media and social networks are also in the news this week, with articles from Italy and France. And last but not least, German and Hungarian media tackle the topic of threats to the environment in Ukraine resulting from the war.

Have a good read.

Sarah-Lou Lepers
Editor of this week's edition

Bulgaria

International arms-to-Russia traffickers arrested in Bulgaria

In October, Bulgarian judicial authorities ordered the arrest of members of an international organisation dedicated to the export of war materials used by Russian troops in Ukraine. The group of 12 people, including Bulgarians, Russians, Belarusians and an Albanian, have been exporting binoculars, sights, radio transmitters and software to Russia since 2021. Now the trade is illegal, and they have faced arrest for continuing to make the exports. The material could then have been used by Russian special units such as "Rosgvardiya", GRU or the now-dissolved "Wagner". The value of the products - exported from Plovdiv airport - exceeds two million euros. (Mediapool)

“War is not just about armed men clashing with other armed men. War is always part of the profound daily life of human beings." With these words, the Bulgarian writer, poet and literary critic Yordan Eftimov presented his new book, Before they wash the blood away, in Odesa on 29 October, which he dedicated to the war following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The presentation took place during the Day of the Bulgarians of Bessarabia, which celebrates the Bulgarian community living in both Ukraine and Moldova. (BNR)

The Ukraine Peace Forum, held in Malta on 28 and 29 October at the initiative of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, attracted the participation of more than 60 countries, Bulgaria included. According to the Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, present at the forum, Bulgaria today has a key role in ensuring corridors for the export of Ukrainian products, and can support Kyiv both in energy and in the construction of an integrated security system in the Black Sea area. “We want a fair and sustainable peace," said Denkov, who reiterated Bulgaria's full support for Zelensky's ten-point peace plan. (24Chasa)

Italy

Ukrainian literature comes out of the shadows 

Ukrainian writer and novelist Andrei Kurkov appeared in La Repubblica, underlining the limited knowledge of Ukrainian literature in Italy and in Europe. In an article, the writer explains that Ukrainian literature is being translated into Italian, but has a limited run. The article recalls how “literature of a great European nation has remained unknown in Europe not for cultural, but for geopolitical reasons”, since Russia’s message has always been that, from the former and current empire, there’s “nothing greater than Russian literature”. Nowadays, in times of war, people are rediscovering the books written in Ukrainian, as a symbolic way of declaring their own Ukrainian identity. (La Repubblica)

Internal elections, political crises and war fatigue are impacting support for Ukraine, highlights an in-depth analysis published by the independent media Valigia Blu. The author describes how domestic elections in western countries are threatening the supply of military and economic aid to Ukraine, and how this is not only happening in individual states, but also in the EU as a whole. (Valigia Blu)

The international justice system has been proving its ability to act promptly in Ukraine, unlike in Syria and Gambia, argues an article by the independent media IrpiMedia. Less than a month after the Russian military aggression was launched, the General Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) left for Ukraine to start investigations. Less than a year later, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for president Vladimir Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. But the authors underline the risk of double standards at the ICC regarding crimes committed in other countries, such as Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. (IrpiMedia)

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the researcher Matteo Pugliese has analysed the presence of Russian propagandists on Italian TV. Pugliese talks about his research in a podcast: propagandists mean journalists in the media controlled by the Russian regime, diplomats, academic ideologists and researchers of state-controlled universities, he explains. The most affected TV channels, according to the research, are Rete 4, La7 and to a lesser degree Rai 3. This means great confusion in Italian public opinion about who bears responsibility for the war, which can help Moscow. His study also appeared in The Guardian. (Ricercati, Chora Media)

Hungary

Hungary and Slovakia against Ukraine aid

The prime ministers of Hungary and Slovakia have voiced opposition to a 50 billion euros aid package for Ukraine (Politico), in the course of ongoing discussions at the European Council summit to modify the EU's seven-year budget. However, the President of the European Council Charles Michel told a press conference that the disagreements did not prevent the European Council from remaining united. (Népszava)

According to government-critical opinions, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will not be able to block the EU from supporting Ukraine. Among other reasons mentioned are the election defeat of his strong ally, the Polish government party PiS, the ongoing economic crisis, and the frozen EU funds for Hungary, which Orbán needs to access. (Népszava)

War can cause ecological damage in Ukraine that may be irreversible, according to experts. Bombings, the resulting fires, troop movements and man-made disasters, such as the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam last June, pose a threat to nature. The conflict could result in localised extinctions in certain regions. The Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group estimates that, at the peak of the invasion, about 44 percent of protected areas were affected. (24.hu)

Following a trip to Kharkiv, Hungarian playwright and documentary filmmaker Erzsébet Rácz, has compiled her impressions. The author writes about her views on the shocking tragedies of victims and the antipathy towards Russians and the Russian language. For example, the distribution of books in Russian is prohibited. "There is no room for nuanced discourse on anything Russian. It can only be evil, and in the moment of a missile impact, it is difficult to argue with this," says the author. (Hvg)

Germany 

Why do Ukrainian refugees work less in Germany?

Tagesschau's reportage on Ukrainian refugees follows the Kovalskyi family's story and their efforts to integrate into German society and the job market. Pavlo Kovalskyi sees Germany as a good place for employment, but he says bureaucratic challenges can hinder entrepreneurs. He adds that it is way quicker and easier to start a business in Ukraine. According to a study cited by Tagesschau, 44 percent of Ukrainian refugees respondents wish to stay in Germany for the long term. (Tagesschau)

And yet Ukrainians are still less likely to work in Germany than elsewhere, pointed out migration expert Dietrich Thränhardt (FAZ). In an interview for NTV he names the reasons for it: complicated regulation, a lack of digitisation in administrative matters and difficulties in alignment with the asylum procedure (despite the simplified process adopted for Ukrainians). Thränhardt criticises the German state that “reacts in a wait-and-see manner and is relying primarily on the social welfare system”. (NTV)

“We must become fit for war. We must be able to defend ourselves. The Bundeswehr and society must be prepared for this,” Federal Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on TV. Pistorius has called on German society to get used to the idea that “the danger of war could be looming in Europe”. (ZDF)

“The war against Ukraine could be the first in which environmental crimes are nearly fully recorded,” argues Maria Fedoruk, an ecological economist. Fedoruk is Ukrainian, and fled the war to Germany where she now leads the Ukraine-Nature project at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. Maria tells Die Zeit how nature became a victim of war and why she believes the Russian army's actions purposefully harm the environment. (Die Zeit)

France

French Facebook audiences targeted by pro-Russian fakery

Social network Facebook has been infiltrated by 242,000 fake pages spreading Russian propaganda in Europe, according to a report by the NGO Reset. The NGO spotted 306 ads, published between July 2022 and April 2023, spreading fake news and pro-Russian narratives to users from France and Germany (BFMTV). These fake pages have existed since 2021, according to the report, and it appears to be the biggest disinformation network ever identified (Le Monde). Le Monde also linked this propaganda network to the Döppelgänger campaign denounced last spring, which sent out fake news about Ukraine through imitating news websites from France, Germany and other EU countries (Le Monde).

“Africa is still a victim of the Russian-Ukrainian food weapon,” reads an opinion piece by Téguia Bogni, a researcher from Cameroon. Bogni denounces the dependence of Africa on wheat coming from Russia and Ukraine, and calls it “a strategic error that undoubtedly reflects a failure of food policies on the continent.” Still, according to the author, this situation creates a communication war concerning the food supply to Africa, which is used as “blackmail” in international relationships (Jeune Afrique). Last year, the same French newspaper Jeune Afrique estimated that wheat export represented 90 percent of Russia’s trade with Africa, and 50 percent of Ukraine’s. (Jeune Afrique)

Why do many western analysts say the Ukrainian counter-offensive is a failure? The question is the main point of a long article by Le Monde. Among the arguments mentioned are the limited progress in regaining Ukrainian territory, the strong defence lines that Russia has had time to build, and the demographic issue that allows Russia to mobilise more soldiers than Ukraine. The article ends by fearing Russia will try to destroy critical energy infrastructure, using the same strategy as last winter (Le Monde). As much as these analyses are present in French news, we also see calls to keep supporting Ukraine, such as this editorial in Ouest France, one of France’s most read regional newspapers: ”Russia's desire to destroy Ukraine is no longer in doubt. Are we going to let it happen?” (Ouest France)

Spain

North Korea in focus as key player in arming Russia's war machine

“Last month, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un shook hands, and today Russian troops are already firing with North Korean bullets,” writes a Spanish ABC correspondent in Beijing. Until now, weapon exchanges between Russia and North Korea took place through third countries, in particular Iran, to evade the controls of the international community. According to the article, high-resolution satellite images released by the Royal United Services Institute show North Korean cargo ships leaving the port of Rajin to deposit their goods in the Russian military complex of Dunai, in the southeastern region of the country, bordering China and North Korea. (ABC)

North Korea may be sustaining the latest Russian push on the Eastern front, adds El Pais. Cristian Segura, Kyiv correspondent, also addresses the latest difficulties faced by the Ukrainian military: tough Russian defences, not enough ammunition to battle the Russian renewed stockpile, and a bleak 2024. (El País)

How is Spain integrating Ukrainian refugees after 20 months of the full-scale invasion? Different media outlets from northwest Spain reported on the subject in recent days. La Voz de Galicia interviewed two Kherson refugees who started working in a bar. A year later, they opened their own restaurant in Coruña (La Voz de Galicia). 3,000 Ukrainians are estimated to have settled in the region of Galicia, and 1,000 in the city that welcomed the enterprising restaurateurs (La Opinion A Coruña). Nevertheless, growing rental prices are becoming a problem for the community, and are pushing refugees away to less central areas. (Cope)

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

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