Prepared by Sofia Oliynyk and Maryana Zaviyska
Photo: Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson visited Bucha and Borodyanka
Restoration.
Ukraine has presented a new recovery plan for the restoration of Ukraine during the next ten years. The presented project envisages $750 bln funding and around 850 projects to be implemented. Digital transformation and strengthening of the institutional capacities are considered as a basis for the rest of the project to be implemented. In addition, there are fifteen areas that are essential for the recovery of Ukraine. This includes strengthening of the defense sector, support of the European integration, recovery of the environment, green transition, improvement of the business environment, creating competitive access to the capital, building macro-financial stability, recovery and modernisation of the social infrastructure as well as housing infrastructure in the regions, development of the education, health and social care, as well as sport.
The implementation of the recovery plan envisages three phases. The first stage, which is ongoing, foresees fixing things that matter for people’s daily lives like water supply. The next stage is about a ‘fast recovery’ component that will be launched as soon as fighting ends including temporary housing, hospital, and school projects. The latest stage will aim at transforming the country over the longer term.
The Prime Minister Shmyhal says that the amount of damage caused by Russia to Ukraine’s infrastructure as a result of the invasion already exceeds $100 billion. Considering the cost of the reconstruction, Prime Minister Shmyhal suggested using frozen Russian assets to cover the expenses required for the recovery. The idea got the support of the British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss who said Russia needed to be held accountable for the damage caused by its ‘appalling war’, Reuters reports.
Cost of support.
‘Ukraine Support Tracker’ has released a new report on the assistance offered by Western donors to Ukraine since the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and up until June 7. The data shows the United States remains the largest donor to Ukraine. Next come the EU institutions (€15.54 billion, mostly MFA, EPF and EIB commitments) and the UK (€4.83 billion). Germany is now the largest EU donor (€3.29 billion) followed by Poland (€2.75 billion), which has delivered large military aid. In regard to the GDP share of support to Ukraine, Estonia remains the largest donor (0.97% of GDP), Latvia remains in second place (0.82%), and Poland is third (0.61%).
Concerning funds for the support of refugees, Poland clearly ranks first among European countries, being the only country hosting over one million Ukrainian refugees. Germany follows in 2nd place with 780 000 refugees, while the Czech Republic (366 632), Italy (125 907) and Spain (118 199) are in 3rd, 4th, and 5th places respectively. When taking into account the population size in each welcoming country, the Czech Republic tops the list (with a share of 3.43%), Moldova comes 2nd (3.29%), followed by Poland (3.04%) and Estonia (2.99%). Taken together, Eastern European countries tend to stand out in terms of incoming refugees.
Cities under attack.
Russian forces have launched seven missiles at the Dnipropetrovsk region. 6 missiles were destroyed but 1 reached the residential area. Missile strikes were recorded at Mykolaiv as well. Two missiles hit Shostka community, Sumy region along with regular shelling of the territories bordering Russia. Regular missile shelling hit the Kharkiv region. Last night one of the educational institutions was damaged. Ukrainian forces are still defending the remaining territories of the Luhansk region, preventing Russian forces from reaching the administrative border of the Luhansk and Donetsk region.
Cities under the occupation.
Russian forces are underway in preparation of the forced mobilization among the peninsula’s residents, reports the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. This is among all considered as violation of the Geneva Conventions, as it means the conscription and mobilization of Ukrainian citizens into the armed forces of the aggressor state.
Russian authorities are planning a pseudo-referendum in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia region for September 11, says the Intelligence Service of Ukraine. However, there are several scenarios at the table – either annexation of the temporarily occupied territories or creation of quasi-republics.
The partisan movement is operating in occupied territories. The Ukrainian Resistance Center reported that Ukrainian partisans blew up a railway bridge near occupied Lyubymivka between Melitopol and Tokmak, Zaporizhzhia region on July 3. This could potentially obstruct Russian resupply efforts from Crimea to the Zaporizhzhia region frontline. Previously, partisans derailed a separate Russian armored train carrying ammunition near Melitopol on July 2. The Institute of the War Studies considers this as the repeated pattern that may indicate a coordinated partisan campaign targeting Russian rail lines.
Foreign policy.
Prime Minister of Sweden Magdalena Andersson visited Ukraine, including Kyiv, Bucha and Borodianka. The delegation visited the mass grave of the people killed and tortured by the Russians near the church of St. Andrew the First-Called in Bucha. In the joint statement, Ukraine and Sweden agreed on bilateral cooperation in the areas of defense, nuclear energy, energy efficiency and financial support for Ukraine. In addition, Sweden expressed its readiness to provide financial support to Ukraine. Also, Prime Minister Andersson transferred to the President a copy of the letter of 1711, kept in the National Archives of Sweden. In it, King Charles XII instructs the Swedish ambassador in Constantinople to recognize Zaporizhzhia Sich as an independent state. According to Magdalena Andersson, already at the beginning of the XVIII century, the Swedish King was impressed by Cossack democracy.
Meanwhile, Finland and Sweden today completed negotiations on joining NATO in one round. Today (July 5) an official document on countries’ accession to the Alliance will be signed.
Sanctions.
Seventh package of sanctions is at the discussion table. Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba says another round of sanction shall include a complete disconnection of Russian banks from SWIFT. Also clear measures are required to block Russia’s ability to dispose of its gold and currency reserves, which would mean an embargo on interaction with Russian gold. Also Russia has to be cut off from global maritime trade: ‘This means, first of all, the inability of ship operators to place their tankers at the disposal of the Russian Federation. Clear measures to block Russia’s ability to dispose of its foreign exchange reserve, that is conventionally speaking, an embargo on interaction with Russian gold’, said Dmytro Kuleba.
Belarus.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi spoke about the signals from Alexander Lukashenko’s statements regarding the joint army of Belarus and Russia and the decision of Belarus to participate in Russia’s ‘special operation’. In his view they are dangerous for the people of Belarus. ‘It sounds dangerous that signals that have been, I think we will see the result of those signals,’ says Zelenskyi.
Energy security.
The Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Halushchenko emphasized that green transformation will be at the center of Ukraine’s post-war recovery. Among the goals is to build 7.1 GW of new capacities of renewable energy sources, switching to market models of stimulating green energy. The development of hydrogen energy can make a significant contribution to the green transformation, says the Minister, as Ukraine considers 10 GW of hydrogen export from Ukraine to the EU, which was outlined by the European Commission as our starting indicator. Meanwhile, Russia has destroyed, damaged or occupied 90% of the wind farms in Ukraine, says the Minister.
Switzerland will invest into the implementation of the state and private climate projects aimed at ‘green’ recovery. This will include projects in the field of electricity, heating, industry, transport, constructions, agriculture and waste management.
Media.
The Independent Media Council called on the Ukrainian authorities to openly discuss, finalize, and adopt new media legislation in compliance with the EU requirements. The call comes in response to the European Commission’s recommendation, namely to ‘tackle the influence of vested interests by adopting a media law that aligns Ukraine’s legislation with the EU audio-visual media services directive and empowers the independent media regulator.’ Public and media organizations require the Parliament to launch the transparent and participatory process to discuss the necessary legislation.
Reading corner.
- Decolonization and Disentanglement in Ukrainian Art | post (moma.org)
- Europe’s task now: Embrace diversity and work together against Russia | POLITICO
- How the Russian Media Spread False Claims About Ukrainian Nazis | The New York Times – ‘A data set of nearly eight million articles about Ukraine collected from more than 8000 Russian websites since 2014 shows that references to Nazism were relatively flat for eight years and then spiked to unprecedented levels on Feb. 24, the day Russia invaded Ukraine. They have remained high ever since.’
- ‘Putin’s ideology is homophobia’: Ukraine’s LGBTQ+ community fights for freedom on the frontline | CBS News – ‘Milewski told CBS News that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has unified the country against Russia’s war, and that Ukraine’s LGBTQ+ community is hopeful about both a hate crimes bill and same sex civil union bill now on the table.’
Statistics.
- General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the total estimated losses of the Russian military as of 10 a.m., July 5, 2022: personnel – around 36 350, tanks ‒ 1594, APV ‒ 3772, artillery systems – 806, MLRS – 247, anti-aircraft warfare systems – 105, fixed-wing aircraft – 217, helicopters – 187, operational-tactical level UAV – 660, cruise missiles – 144, boats and light speed boats – 15, soft-skinned vehicles and fuel tankers – 2634, special equipment – 65.
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