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. 

Ukraine has opened several recruitment centres in recent months, which intend to bring volunteers into the army. Officials took into consideration the successful experience of the recruitment offices of some brigades, and believe that offering people positions that match their skills will enhance their willingness to commit to the army. How recruitment centres work is the subject of this week's Ukrainian article.

Support for Ukraine remains a hot topic in many EU-countries: most eyes are on France, where June and July's early elections could bring victory for Marine Le Pen's far-right Rassemblement National. The party has long faced criticism for its links to Russia, which we examine in our French press review. Support for Ukraine could also be at a breaking point between political friends such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

European reporters are still travelling to war-torn Ukraine, and trying to show the reality of war to those who live in peace. This includes a Russian attack on a major printing house, putting the Ukrainian book market in a difficult situation. Yet, culture itself survives and Ukrainian artists are also finding their path to European audiences. This is also in this week's newsletter.

Have a good read!

Kornélia Kiss
Editor of this week's edition

Since the new draft law on conscription came into effect in mid May, the topic of enlistment has been fiercely debated inside and outside of Ukraine. For many Ukrainians of eligible age, gender and status, who haven't yet joined the army, it marked a moment to contact conscription centres and, probably, to make a decision on their future. For many non-Ukrainians, the reports about people avoiding the army raise the question about whether Ukraine still has enough will and human resources to stay the course in this war.

In an article, translated by n-ost this week, journalist Kateryna Amelina dispels some myths around conscription and what solutions the state and different army units suggest to make the process more transparent. She talks to representatives of different recruitment centres, which have opened over the past several months, and reveals the fears of recruits, which can usually be traced back to urban myths.

These include disinfo about soldiers who brigade move directly from the conscription office to the trenches, or the myth that army personnel have to buy all their gear, such as their uniform and boots, and ammunition. In bricks and mortar recruitment centres, potential recruits can find out all the information in person and search for the most suitable position for their skills set.

According to the Ministry of Defence, over the past three months, 7,700 people contacted recruitment centres, 2,300 are at various stages of recruitment (including 357 women), and 212 individuals have already taken up posts in the military.

Anton Muraveinyk, head of the analytical department of the Come Back Alive Foundation, describes:

"Recruiting in our country is a crossroads between the wants of the people and the needs of the army. This crossroads mainly lies in the combat brigades, as since this February, there’s a non-public priority list for staffing of brigades, and that list is updated every month. However, a recruiter for every brigade has to prove why they have the right to that priority. Which means, if a potential recruit gets an assignment letter for joining a brigade that’s on that list, he or she is very likely to end up in the agreed place, especially if they’re signing a contract."

The piece was originally published by LB.ua, a general interest independent Ukrainian online-media.

Translated by Tetiana Evloeva.

Spain

Two whales make historic evacuation from Kharkiv

Transported from Kharkiv to Valencia, via Odesa and Moldova in one of the most complex marine rescues in history, two beluga whales were evacuated from the war-torn Ukrainian city, 30 kilometres from the Russian border, to Europe's largest aquarium on the east coast of Spain. Shelling, the city's power outages and a shortage of the 60 kg of the pair’s daily diet of seafood were major challenges for their survival. (NY Times)

A new batch of Spanish missiles for Patriot anti-aircraft batteries has arrived in Ukraine. (La Ser). The Spanish defence minister's confirmation coincided with King Felipe VI of Spain's visit to the Baltic countries, where the king met with Spanish troops on NATO missions on the border with Russia (El País). Additionally, a viral video features a Ukrainian Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialist showcasing and praising another weapon from Spain. The C-3 B is a Spanish-made mine, containing 4.7 kg of explosives, imperceptible by metal detectors, and can be configured as either anti-tank or anti-personnel. (X)

"You shouldn't be alive. The blood tests say you are dead." These were the words of a doctor at a hospital in Zaporizhzhia to a Ukrainian soldier, Denis, who survived against all odds. In a field report, Javier Espinosa recounts the incredible story of two Ukrainian soldiers, Denis and Pasha, who became the main characters in the legends of the 15th Kara-Dag Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard. They managed to defend a trench for 12 days while severely wounded and wearing tourniquets. The hospital had never seen soldiers survive with a tourniquet for more than a week. (El Mundo)

Bulgaria

Bulgarian media from around the world meet in Odesa

"It is important that the Bulgarian public is well informed about how ethnic Bulgarians live in Ukraine. It is remarkable that [with limited resources] the Bulgarian media turns its attention to a war-torn region," Milen Mitev, director of the Bulgarian National Radio, commented on the opening of the 19th meeting of Bulgarian media in the world, held in Odesa on 19 June. For the director of the Bulgarian National Press Agency (BTA) Kiril Valchev, despite economic limitations, the Bulgarian media are producing quality reporting on Ukraine, with a focus on solidarity with Ukrainian citizens. (BNR)

A new song brings together Bulgarian and Ukrainian musicians: ‘Theft’ is the latest creation of the Bulgarian duo Rumunetsa & Enchev in collaboration with young Ukrainian accordionist Evgeniy Prihodko, who has been living in Bulgaria for two years after fleeing Ukraine after the start of the full-scale invasion. "Many people thought the song would be about war," singer Georgi Enchev told Telegraph. "It speaks instead of gallantry and kindness, according to Ukrainian and Bulgarian traditions. Because in the world of art, there can be no war." (Telegraph)

Bulgaria is ready to support the reconstruction of the strategic Ukrainian energy sector. "We could soon donate equipment worth over one million leva (about half a million euros)," declared Bulgarian prime minister Dimitar Glavchev during the Ukraine Peace Summit, held in Switzerland on 15-16 June. According to Glavchev, Bulgarian companies are ready to take part in projects for the reconstruction of power plants, distribution networks and gas pipelines. For such efforts to be successful, however, Glavchev added, Ukraine's full integration into pan-European energy corridors is necessary, and is a useful step for both Ukraine and the EU. (Mediapool)

France

Potential leading party has strong links to Russia 

The far-right party Rassemblement National, which has a chance of taking over the government in June and July's early legislative elections, is a pawn for Putin, according to the weekly Le Nouvel Obs, which reviews RN's historic positions in relation to Vladimir Putin's Russia. It mentions senior member (and former leader of the RN) Marine Le Pen’s declaration to a Russian newspaper in 2011: "I admire Vladimir Putin. [..] We share many common interests, both civilisational and strategic”. The article also details the 9.4 million euros bank loan granted to the party by the First Czech-Russian Bank in 2018, that was only reimbursed in 2023 (Le Nouvel Obs). Marine Le Pen is not a candidate, but, according to Mediapart, RN has invested at least fifteen candidates who have carried out electoral endorsement missions for Russia, made high-level visits to Moscow, or who headed associations promoting Vladimir Putin's regime. (Mediapart)

Ukrainian drones were a focus of Paris's major military industry expo Eurosatory on 17-21 June. The country could become a rival for western companies "after the war"  according to an industrialist, who believes that the military industry has a lot to learn from the ongoing war (Le Figaro). Also new France-Ukraine agreements have been announced, including industrial cooperation, which have resulted in the creation of a French-Ukrainian company to deliver and exploit military equipment in Ukraine. (Les Echos).

The top ten generative AI models identify only about one third of the number of Russian disinformation stories, citing as authoritative sources fake local news sites created in Moscow, reveals an article by Newsguard. For example, asked about the existence of an alleged Nazi-inspired forced fertilisation programme in Ukraine, a chatbot confidently repeated the claim, referring to an unsubstantiated report by former Russian mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin's Foundation for Battling Injustice, which it described as "a months-long investigation" that "verified the existence of this programme." (Newsguard in French and in English)

Germany 

Does the "debt brake" hinder Germany’s response to the Russian invasion? 

Parallels can be drawn between current tensions in the German government’s financial distribution with World War II, where high state debts enabled "Britain and the USA to defeat the Nazis", and a similar financial flexibility may be necessary today to assist in the defeat of Russia in Ukraine, argues Taz economy correspondent Hannes Koch in an essay. Defence minister Boris Pistorius is advocating for increased military spending despite the country’s policy of a debt brake (which restricts structural budget deficits), and finance minister Christian Lindner opposes budget increases. (taz)

Alexander Dobrindt, the chairman of the Christian Social Union (CSU) in the Bundestag, is calling for Ukrainian war refugees to be sent back to their homeland if they do not find work in Germany. While the Greens (Die Grünen) and Social Democratic Party (SPD) sharply criticise the CSU’s position, this topic is causing heated discussions. (tagesschau) SZ political editor Nicolas Freund emphasises that even the western parts of Ukraine are unsafe, and identifies the vulnerable position of most refugees, who are women and children, suggesting that conditions for refugees to work and integrate should be created, "to help both Ukrainians and the German economy". But "Dobrindt's populism at the expense of those in need of protection achieves exactly the opposite" he adds. (SZ)

"The war in Ukraine is in a spiral of escalation," writes jurist Jörg Arnold in an Open-Source contribution for Berliner Zeitung, showcasing one of the narratives circulating in German society, which believes support for Ukraine could risk an even bigger war. The author questions how far Ukraine's right to self-defence should reach. He refers to the UN Charter, which allows the right for self-defence, but does not contain any provisions. "Does this mean that NATO states are allowed to do whatever they consider appropriate in self-defence to ward off the Russian attack on Ukraine?” he asks, and highlights the "the risk of a nuclear war". (Berliner Zeitung)

Hungary

EU circumvents Hungarian veto to help Ukraine

EU foreign ministers have found a legal way to bypass Hungary's veto on military aid to Ukraine. Hungary had previously abstained in the vote in which it was decided in principle that Ukraine should be allowed to receive the profits from frozen Russian assets in the EU, and therefore Hungary no longer had veto rights in this matter. According to the Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó "the EU crossed a red line" and was of the opinion that a unanimous decision would have been necessary. Meanwhile, Hungary has not vetoed the 14th package of sanctions against Russia, although Hungary’s Foreign Minister had earlier promised to exercise such an interdiction. (Hvg)

In recent weeks, Russia has resumed its offensive against the northeastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv. "Russian attacks in Kharkiv can now strike anywhere. Up to dozens a day. Sometimes they strike at exactly the same place repeatedly, at the same time as the ambulances and firefighters are on the scene. This is known in jargon as double tap," journalist and photographer Szabolcs Vörös reports from Kharkiv. Despite the tragedies and danger, life goes on in Kharkiv. Young people rehearse a dance performance in the park, and a juggling show goes on in the dolphinarium, while the air raid sirens continue. (Válasz Online)

At a concert in Budapest, veteran British pop star Rod Stewart dedicated one of his greatest hits, ‘The Rhythm of My Heart’, to Ukraine and its president Volodymyr Zelensky. Dressed in blue and yellow, he showed images of Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed Ukrainian cities. The closing image at the end of the song was Zelensky, which was "greeted" with jeers and boos from a large part of the audience. According to Telex's correspondent, the next song was greeted with an enthusiastic ovation, as if nothing had happened. (Telex)

Italy

Ukraine is only major point of divergence between Meloni and Orbán 

On the eve of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU, starting on 1 July, PM Viktor Orbán travelled to Italy to meet Italian PM Giorgia Meloni. Orbán’s party Fidesz’s entry into Meloni’s European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) in the European Parliament, is likely to be ruled out, even if the two leaders still have a strong alliance on issues such as migration, demographics and defence. Ukraine is the only matter creating a significant divergence between the two major parties of Italy and Hungary, Il Corriere highlights. Meloni firmly supports a pro-NATO position, while Orbán maintains close ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin. (Il Corriere)

"Eighty-three thousand books were burned in one day," says the director of the Faktor Druk, one of the main printing houses in Ukraine based in Kharkiv, that was bombed on 25 May by Russians. Seven workers were killed and 22 severely wounded, and Italian and German machinery was destroyed. A report in Il Foglio explains the impact of this bombing on the Ukrainian book industry. According to the experts this attack is part of a systematic targeting of Ukrainian cultural and historical archives by Russians. Nevertheless, book distribution in Ukraine has more than doubled in 2023 compared to 2022. (Il Foglio)

"We are in a period of rediscovery and restructuring," says poet, translator and Kherson native Aleksandr Kabanov in an interview with Obc. One of his collections, ‘In the language of the enemy’, has recently been translated into Italian. The full-scale invasion has intensified identity and cultural heritage issues in Ukraine, leading to the removal of Soviet and Russian monuments and a resurgence in national arts and literature. Kabanov writes both in Ukrainian and Russian, and explains he has not changed his attitude towards Russian literature and culture. "Putin has not taken anything away from me, even though he uses Russian culture for his propaganda," he says. (Obc)

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. 

If you like this content, please spread the word about it so that anyone interested in Ukraine can benefit from this weekly curation.

Have you spotted an interesting piece of journalism you think should be mentioned in What about Ukraine? Please let us know at about.ua@n-ost.org ! Same if you have an idea how to improve this newsletter. 

See you next week!