Weekly newsletter
This is a newsletter of exclusive materials of Ukrinform for a week
Photo of the week:
Participant of the "Voices of Children" event, organized on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance for children who died as a result of the armed aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, ties a bell to a symbolic angel-shaped installation in Angels' Square near the Garrison Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul of the UGCC, Lviv, June 4, 2024.
Interviews:
Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs
The density of international events taking place these days and planned for the next month has added work to policy-makers, diplomats and analysts around the world. However, predictions about the impact these events can have on Ukraine are based mostly on the internal attitude of whether the glass is half empty or half full.
So Ukrinform decided to "check the clocks" with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, and requested his comment on the rapidly changing geopolitical situation in the context of our country's interests. Given his tight schedule, Ukraine’s top diplomat provided written answers to our questions.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, the chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on EU Integration
Ukrainians are watching each step that brings us closer to European integration as if they are watching episodes of an exciting series. All of the country was watching the EU authorizing the start of accession talks with Ukraine in late December 2023. For many people, there are heroes and anti-heroes in this saga. At the end of June, we are going to watch a new episode of this series, which is the European Commission’s endorsement of a draft Negotiating Framework on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Ukrinform has talked to Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, the chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on EU Integration, to find out why it’s important to get this decision made right now, what challenges Ukraine will have to overcome on its path to European integration, and why this path will not be easy.
Kostyantyn Saliy, President of the Pan-Ukrainian Association of Building Materials Manufacturers
According to various assessments, the purchase of construction materials for post-war reconstruction and rebuilding programs will cost an amount ranging between USD 65 billion to more than 100 billion. This disparity in cost estimates comes, in particular, from the lack of verified data on actual losses Ukrainian infrastructure and housing stock suffered as a result of Russia’s war of aggression, along with the lack of accurate and complete accounting of destroyed and damaged properties, says Kostyantyn Saliy, the Prsident of the Pan-Ukrainian Association of Building Materials Manufacturers. This is due to both objective factors (it is physically impossible to find out the scope of destruction in the currently occupied part of Ukraine and in near-the-front-line areas), and subjective factors - the lack of an effective system for professional assessment of the damage caused.
At the same time, whatever the real needs might be, it emerges that that the industry's pre-war capacities – much less its current capacities - will not suffice to tackle the reconstruction and rebuilding task. Ukrinform talked to Kostyantyn Saliy to find out how to get the building materailas industry prepared for the anticipated surge in demand for its products in the post-war period.
Publications:
Russian media passing off rejected ECHR petition as 'case opened' against Ukraine
Kremlin-run media outlets are spreading information on the websites and social media platform X that the European Court of Human Rights allegedly "opened a case against Ukraine due to the torture of a Russian soldier."
To "prove" that the case was opened, Russian propagandists provided two screenshots with "documents." One of them is an application to the ECHR entitled "Reznikov v. Ukraine" and a screenshot of the receipt stating that the application was accepted.
Russian propaganda spreading fake about need to pay for no electricity
Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels are sharing a video with an announcement. It says that according to Ukraine's power grid operator Ukrenergo, the situation with electricity supply allegedly remains very difficult, and in order to restore "normative capacities" as soon as possible, the fee for electricity will be charged regardless of its supply. The announcement was allegedly created by the Lviv-based municipal enterprise Kniazhe Misto.
Top Videos:
Orikhiv: a city where 95% of buildings have been destroyed or damaged
European elections in Brussels: everything is calm
In Brussels, elections to the European Parliament are being held concurrently with elections to municipal and federal authorities. Today, over 11,000 polling stations have opened across the country, each seeing substantial queues. This is not surprising, as unlike many other countries, voting in Belgium is considered a civic duty, violations of which can result in fines ranging from 40 to 80 euros or even loss of voting rights.
A total of over 8.3 million Belgians are participating in the elections, with approximately 80,000 voting for the first time. A distinctive feature of this year's European Parliament elections in Belgium is the right of young people aged 16-17 to vote, although this voting is not compulsory. Citizens of Belgium continue to have the right to participate in elections to local representative bodies from the age of 18, as before.
A performance was held in Warsaw to mark the anniversary of the Russian occupiers blowing up the Kakhovskaya HPP
Within the framework of the performance, peaceful Ukrainian cities and villages that were flooded as a result of Russia's detonation of the Kakhovskaya HPP dam are symbolically depicted. During the action, its participants held placards with information about the crimes of undermining the Kakhovskaya HPP and the damage it caused to the residents and the ecosystem of the region.
News:
Human Rights
ECHR Ombudsperson tells how long to wait for decision in case of Ukraine and Netherlands v. Russia
Margarita Sokorenko, the Commissioner for the European Court of Human Rights, hopes that after today's hearings in the interstate case Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia in Strasbourg, the court will have a huge amount of work, but the decision may be announced in a year and a half.
War
Ukraine’s military denies Russian claims of capturing two villages in Luhanks, Kharkiv regions
Today, the Russian Ministry of Defense, in its regular update on the ‘victories’ of its troops on the territory of Ukraine, released a report claiming that the settlements of Artemivka and Tymkivka had been ‘liberated’ of Ukrainian units. However, the thing is that Russian propaganda once again proved weak and nonsensical. Moreover, such populated areas there are no such settlements in Ukraine... Miasozharivka was referred to as Artemivka in the report. It should be noted that this had been the name of the settlement until 2016.
Ukraine's parliament discussing initiatives to tighten responsibility of military commanders
Ukrainian lawmakers are discussing initiatives to strengthen the responsibility of military commanders whose actions and orders led to the death of military personnel, theft of property and other grave consequences.
Energy
EU exploring offers to Ukraine in terms of energy support – EC Vice President
The European Commission is considering offers to Ukraine in the field of supporting its energy sector as this issue was discussed in detail at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin on June 11-12, as well as on its sidelines.
Defense
First Lynx IFV to be produced in Ukraine before year-end - Kamyshin
"At the conference, we announced together with the German defense concern Rheinmetall that we are starting production of Lynx infantry fighting vehicles in Ukraine. The first such vehicle will be produced in Ukraine before the end of the year," said Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleksandr Kamyshyn.
Recovery
Marchenko outlines main topics of Ukraine Recovery Conference
"I have high hopes that Ukraine is once again attracting proper attention. This concerns the issue of attracting sufficient resources to the defense and security sector, and protection of critical infrastructure, including energy. The issues of ensuring the necessary level of power generation and preparations for winter will be discussed at the conference. These are key issues," Ukraine’s Minister of Finance Sergii Marchenko said.
See you next Friday!