EU and Ukrainian local leaders call for stronger partnerships at Kyiv summit

European Committee of the Regions underlines solidarity of EU cities and regions atmeetingheldhours aftermajorRussian attack on Ukrainian capital.

The European Committee of the Regions on 26 May joined Ukrainian and European local leaders in Kyiv in stressing the essential role that cities and regions areplaying in ensuringUkraineremains resilient in the face of Russian attacks, and their importance in the country'srecoveryandEU integration.

The meeting - theIV International Summit of Cities and Regions- was held the day after one of the largest Russian attacks of the war.Opening the summit, whose motto was "Partnership. Resilience. Preparedness",President Volodymyr Zelenskyyawarded thehonorarydistinction ofRescuer Citytoa number ofcities, including to Gdańsk, which will on 25-26 June hostthe UkraineRecovery Conference(URC).

Representingthe URC host city and the European Committee of the Regions, the mayor of Gdańsk,Aleksandra Dulkiewicz(PL/EPP), emphasised the importance of municipal and region-to-region partnerships, arguing that resilience is built on trust.

The summit in Kyiv served as an important political and operational milestonetowards the URC,bringing together senior representatives of the Ukrainian government, members of parliament, ministers, mayors, regional leaders,representatives of the Committee of theRegionsandotherinternational partners.The event focused on how cities and regions can contribute to Ukraine's recovery,strengthen life-support systems, reinforce territorial security, improve energyresilienceand support veterans' rehabilitation and reintegration.

Itreaffirmedthat local and regional authorities must be fully involved in shaping recovery priorities, implementing reforms and building the partnerships needed for Ukraine's long-term resilience and future in Europe.

Discussions throughout the day showed that Ukraine's resilience depends not only on emergency response, but also on long-term, systemic transformation rooted in capable local and regional authorities. Speakers stressed the importance of international cooperation, decentralisedgovernanceand practical partnerships between Ukrainian and Europeanterritories.

In the panel on the resilience oflife-support systems, in whichAleksandra Dulkiewiczparticipated, the discussion focused on how Ukraine's recovery should move from emergency response to systemic transformation rooted in multi-level governance, trust and a clear division of responsibilities between central and local authorities. Participants underlined that local and regional authorities are best placed to identify vulnerabilities in essential services such as water, heating and transport, and that Ukraine's reconstruction should follow a resilient-by-design approach based on decentralised infrastructure, green and digital solutions, transparent and fair access to funding, and stronger citizen participation. The debate also stressed that Ukraine's local resilience is a shared European asset and that partnerships between cities and regions are key both for reconstruction and for Europe's own preparedness.

During the summit,Patrick Molinoz,member of the European Committee of the Regions and Vice-President of the Region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, underlined the growing importance of territorial cooperation for Ukraine's recovery and path towards the European Union. Speaking on behalf of the CoR, he highlighted support for stronger EU-Ukraine cooperation through practical partnerships between regions and cities.

In the side panel on the Carpathian Integration Initiative, he pointed to the Carpathian area as a strategic space for macro-regional development, practicalpartnershipsand better use of EU instruments such as Interregprogrammes and funding.

The summit concluded with the signing of international territorial cooperation agreements and the adoption of a declaration setting out shared ambitions for partnership,resilienceand preparedness. For the CoR, these priorities remain central to ensuring that Ukraine's reconstruction is inclusive, place-based and anchored in democratic local self-governmentand, alongside the partners of theEuropean Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, willbe supportedinthediscussions of the25-26JuneUkraine RecoveryConference inGdańsk.

Quotes:

• Aleksandra Dulkiewicz(PL/EPP), Mayor of Gdańsk, Poland, representative of the European Committee of the Regions: "Resilience is not merely the ability to withstand a blow; it is the capacity to rebuild ourselves in such a way that the next blow cannot stop us. The success of this transformation rests entirely on trust-trust between central and local government, trust between the state and its citizens, and trust between Ukraine and its European partners."

• Patrick Molinoz(FR/PES), Member of the European Committee of the Regions and Vice-President of the Region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France:"If resiliencebegins withtrust, it is sustained through cooperation. Ukraine's path to recovery and to Europe will also be built thanks tocrossbordercooperation. Concrete partnerships between regions, shared projects and common standards need cohesion funds and reinforced Interreg programs. The Carpathian space can become a strategic bridge between reconstruction and integration, showing that macro-regional cooperation is not a side issue, but a practical part of Europe's response to Ukraine'sfuture ."

More information:

• Photos: Available for downloadinghere, including photos from the summit, a visit to Chornobyl

• Video: Audiovisual material is available.

• International Summit of Cities and Regions: The IV edition of the summit was held in Kyiv under the mottoPartnership. Resilience. Preparednessas part of preparations for URC 2026. It brought together Ukrainian and international leaders to discuss local and regional dimensions of recovery, security, energy resilience, veteransupportandterritorial cooperation.Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian Democratic Forces, also addressed the gathering immediately after President Zelenskyy, marking Belarus's first participation in this format, while the first day of the programme included a visit to Chornobyl in the year marking the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster.

• RescuerCitytitle(Ukrainian:Misto-riativnyk):is an honorary titleestablishedby President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is awarded to cities that provided outstanding support to Ukraine and to Ukrainian refugees, including humanitarian assistance, reception capacities, logistical support andother concrete forms of solidarity.

• 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.

• The 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, criticalinfrastructureandlogistics. URC 2026 will also introduce a new Security and Defence dimension proposed by Poland and willconvenepolitical leaders, international and financial institutions, business, localauthoritiesand 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 energysolutionsand local economic recovery, while fostering partnerships between Ukrainian municipalities and international counterparts. Poland and Ukraine also intend to set up a joint platform tofacilitatedirect municipal-to-municipal communication and the exchange of information and good practices.

• European Committee of the Regions opinion on Ukraine:"Enlargement package 2024 - Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia"(rapporteur: Patrick Molinoz, Member of the European Committee of theRegionsand Vice-President of the Region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté).

Contact

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