EU regions and cities call for decentralised reconstruction process in Ukraine ahead of Gdańsk recovery conference

EU's local and regional leaders say municipalities must remain central to Ukraine's recovery

Representatives of Europe's cities and regions seized the opportunity of a debate with Ukraine's Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories, Oleksii Riabykin, on 7 May to underline the role of local and regional authorities in Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction, ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Gdańsk in June.

The debate took place during the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), which initiated the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, to mobilise and coordinate support for Ukrainian municipalities and regions during and after Russia's full-scale invasion.

Opening the debate, Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions, told Deputy Minister Riabykin "we are and will be with you. Ukraine's recovery will be won locally, in cities and regions that keep the country running and rebuild communities". President Tüttő will represent the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine at the URC on 25-26 June.

Deputy Minister Riabykin told CoR members that Ukrainian cities and regions continue to maintain public services effectively despite repeated attacks on infrastructure, with local authorities adapting governance, energy systems and essential services under wartime conditions. He said Ukraine's recovery needs over the next decade are estimated at $588 billion (€500 billion), quoting assessments by the World Bank, the European Union and the United Nations.

The deputy minister said Ukraine is developing new models of resilience centred on decentralised decision-making, distributed energy generation, protection of critical infrastructure and rapid recovery systems. He described Ukraine not only as a recipient of support, but also as a source of practical experience for European municipalities and regions facing growing security and preparedness challenges.

The discussion served as a political precursor to the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will bring together governments, international institutions and local authorities in Gdańsk to coordinate support for Ukraine's reconstruction and long-term recovery.

Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, mayor of Gdańsk, said the conference should deliver practical outcomes for Ukrainian communities and strengthen cooperation between European and Ukrainian local authorities. European cities and regions have much to learn from Ukraine's experience in maintaining resilience during wartime, she said.

Władysław Ortyl, governor of Poland's Podkarpackie region, highlighted the strategic role of regions bordering Ukraine in supporting logistics, infrastructure and dual-use technologies. He said cooperation between European and Ukrainian local authorities had become increasingly important since Russia's invasion.

Preparations for that URC included a meeting last week with local and regional leaders and sub-national associations in Rzeszów in the Podkarpackie region. Participants included Antje Grotheer, President of the Bremen State Parliament and Chair of the CoR's Working Group on Ukraine.

Speaking on 7 May, Ms Grotheer, emphasised that "Cities and regions must be fully involved -- both in strategic planning and in the effective delivery of reconstruction".

Later in the day, Anatolii Fedoruk, mayor of the city of Bucha -- site of one of the most notorious war crimes committed by Russia -- opened a representative office within the CoR. It becomes the fifteenth sub-national authority or association from Ukraine to take up the CoR's offer to use its workspace and meeting facilities.

Quote:

Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions:"Ukraine's recovery will be won locally, in cities and regions that keep the country running and rebuild communities . The European Committee of the Regions will continue to relay calls from our Ukrainian partners for concrete material support, share verified information on urgent energy needs and and mobilise solidarity where it is most urgent. I sincerely thank all colleagues for their continued engagement, and I invite you to consider whether your city or region can do more."

Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories, Ukraine: "Today, I would like to invite you to continue this dialogue with Ukraine -- with our regions and local communities -- at the Ukraine Recovery Conference which will take place in Gdańsk in June. Where real, practical solutions will be presented. Today, in Ukraine, it is not only our resilience that is being tested. The new model of European readiness is being tested as well -- the readiness to act together, to think and plan systemically and to withstand crises without losing direction. And Ukraine is already making its contribution to this shared future."

Antje Grotheer, President of the Bremen State Parliament, Chair of Working Group on Ukraine: "Following our exchange last week in Rzeszów, I want to thank our Polish and Ukrainian partners for strengthening the local and regional dimension of the Ukraine Recovery Conference. We must be far more strategic ahead of URC Gdańsk to make one point unmistakably clear: sustainable recovery can only be delivered at local and regional level. Cities and regions must be fully involved--both in strategic planning and in the effective delivery of reconstruction. Our focus must be on turning local resilience and decentralisation into concrete results--for Ukraine and for Europe as a whole."

Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdańsk: "Ukraine's recovery cannot be run from desks in capital cities alone. If it is to be fast, fair, and lasting, we must deliver three tracks in parallel: a credible path to EU membership, an operational response that addresses real-time crises, and strategic reconstruction anchored in the 'Build Back Better' principle. Our priority is to safeguard an inclusive process--moving beyond moral support to provide tangible technical, structural, and substantive assistance at the regional and local levels. That is why I call on national governments and local authorities alike to bring regions and cities into decision-making and funding, because local communities and civil society are the driving force of a modern, democratic Ukraine and our shared European security architecture,"

More information:

• European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine: Created in June 2022 by the CoR and associations of Ukrainian and EU cities and regions, the Alliance works to support Ukraine's decentralised recovery and strengthen local and regional involvement in reconstruction and EU accession-related reforms.
• Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026): The URC will be co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine in Gdańsk on 25-26 June 2026. It aims to strengthen international support for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction and to catalyse investment, with a focus on energy, critical infrastructure and logistics. URC 2026 will also introduce a new 'Security and Defence' dimension proposed by Poland and will convene political leaders, international and financial institutions, business, local authorities and civil society. Local and regional governments are central to Ukraine's reconstruction. Discussions on the local and regional dimension will focus on resilient communities, sustainable urban and rural development, housing, decentralised energy solutions and local economic recovery, while fostering partnerships between Ukrainian municipalities and international counterparts. Poland and Ukraine also intend to set up a joint platform to facilitate direct municipal-to-municipal communication and the exchange of information and good practices.
• Brussels hub for Ukrainian local and regional authorities: Run jointly with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) under the CoR's 10-point support package for Ukraine, the hub offers Ukrainian authorities and civil-society organisations free workspace and meeting facilities in Brussels.
• Summer Camps for Ukrainian Children initiative: the CoR invites cities and regions across the EU to host Ukrainian children in summer programmes as a practical act of solidarity and respite from the war. The initiative is implemented with the support of CoR members and coordinated with the Association of Ukrainian Cities, which helps match participating hosts with children's needs and provides practical guidance.
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