What did 30 June 2020 mean for Ukraine and region?

What was shaping politics around Ukraine and its wider region on 30 June 2020? Three threads, reported in the preceding days, converged on that date.

A new education minister in Kyiv

On 25 June 2020, Serhiy Shkarlet was chosen as Ukraine's minister of education. As reported at the time, he had earlier been caught plagiarising and was known for a fondness for expensive cars. The appointment was reported with those details attached.

Europe prepares to reopen its borders

On 24 June 2020, ambassadors of EU member states met to develop criteria for reopening the bloc's external borders to travellers on 1 July. European Commission guidance said that non-EU countries would make the safe list if their COVID-19 situation was comparable to or better than the EU average. That meant looking at the number of new infections, the trend in new infections, and testing and tracing. Reciprocity and links to the EU were also to be weighed. Under these rules, travellers from countries such as Brazil, Russia and the United States might be barred.

A call for sanctions over Libya

On 27 June 2020, Libya's internationally recognised Government of National Accord called on the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on individuals and what it called mercenaries. The appeal followed a statement by the National Oil Corporation that Russian mercenaries and other foreign actors had forced their way into the Sharara oilfield. The reports linked the episode to the Wagner Group in the context of the Libyan civil war.

Together, the items show a day when domestic appointments, pandemic-era border policy and conflict abroad all drew attention across the region.