Narratives in Media Coverage of Ukraine

Europe Prepares for Second U.S. President Trump Term

• Britain and Germany are working together to prepare for a second Trump term in fears that a possible victory for Trump would hurt European security.  Trump’s choice of J.D. Vance as his running mate, who has said he opposes writing “blank checks” to Ukraine, has increased fears.  Under Britain’s new Labor government, the U.K. is more willing to engage in deeper defense cooperation with Europe through, for example, a deal with Germany to “ramp up industrial coordination and joint operations” (Politico; see also Politico, Euractiv).
• Ukraine says that it will work with whoever wins the U.S. presidential election.  Trump has pledged to restore isolationism, cut aid to Ukraine, and end the war “in one day.”  Zelenskyy said “if Mr. Donald Trump becomes president, then we will work with him.  I am not afraid of it” (Politico; see also AP News).

Internal European Division

• The EU will step in on a conflict between Hungary, Slovakia, and Ukraine after Hungary and Slovakia accused Ukraine of threatening their oil supplies with a partial ban on Russian crude exports through Ukraine.  Budapest relies on Moscow for 70% of its oil imports and Slovakia for 88% (Politico; see also Reuters, Euractiv).

Impacts of U.S. President Biden’s Decision to Withdraw from Presidential Race

• After U.S. President Biden decided not to run for a second term, countries around the world questioned what the decision would mean on a global stage.  Ukrainian President Zelenskyy thanked Biden for his support for Kyiv over the last three years and praised Biden’s “tough but strong decision.”  If current Vice President Kamala Harris becomes president, she is expected to continue many of Biden’s foreign policy objectives (Politico; see also AP News). 
• Poland, however, warned that no matter who is the next president of the United States, European allies should prepare for a “change” in the transatlantic relationship.  It said that European countries need to take more responsibility for their collective defense, especially with Washington’s attention on Asia (Politico).

Ukraine and China

• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will visit China this week, his first trip to Beijing since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.  The trip comes after Zelenskyy criticized Beijing for helping Moscow disrupt Ukraine’s peace conference in Switzerland (Politico; see also Reuters, AP News, Euractiv).

Praise for Ukraine’s Military Strategy

• NATO’s top general Christopher Cavoli praised Ukraine’s overall military strategy, saying that “I think that they’ve got a great strategy.  It is just a matter of prosecuting it.  The key part is the force generation” (Politico).

Criticism of Hungary

• European Council President Charles Michel criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s self-declared “peace missions,” saying that the “rotating Presidency of the Council [in Hungary’s hands since July 1] has no role in representing the Union on the international stage and received no European Council mandate to engage on behalf of the Union.”  Orbán’s “peace missions” have included visiting Donald Trump, Kyiv, Moscow, and Beijing (Politico; see also Euractiv).
• The EU is putting increasing pressure on Orbán in opposition to his “peace missions” through denying Hungary’s ability to host a strategic EU meeting and boycotting meetings hosted by Hungary (AP News; see also AP News, Euractiv).
• Orbán released a letter to European countries with reflections from his controversial visits (AP News).

Russian Army Casualties

• The U.K. defense ministry reported that Russia has faced its highest rate of losses during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with 70,000 soldiers likely killed or wounded in May and June (Politico).

Kyiv Children’s Hospital Hit by Russian Missile

• The UN said that there was a “high likelihood” that Kyiv’s main children’s hospital took a direct hit from a Russian missile, even as the Kremlin denies involvement.  Forty-four people across Ukraine were killed in airstrikes on Monday, July 8 (Reuters).

Ukrainian Public Opinion

• A poll showed that nearly ⅓ of Ukrainians would accept some territorial concessions to Russia for a quick end to the war, but most Ukrainians still oppose giving up any land (Reuters; see also Euractiv).

Death of Ukrainian Lawmaker Iryna Farion

• Thousands of mourners attended the funeral of Iryna Farion, a former lawmaker best known for her campaign to promote the Ukrainian language.  She was fatally shot in the street and died of her wounds in a hospital (AP News).

Training for the Olympics in Ukraine

• AP News released a photo essay on Ukrainian athletes participating in the Olympic Games in Paris.  Many athletes are training outside Ukraine, but high jumper Oleh Doroshchuck is doing his training in Ukraine (AP News).

Ukraine’s Preliminary Deal to Avoid Default

• Ukraine reached a deal with a group of creditors to restructure $20 billion of international bonds, ensuring Ukraine maintains budget stability and cash resources to continue funding its defense (Euractiv).

Author: Sophie Adams-Smith, Media Analyst, Promote Ukraine