Ukraine: The war that unites cities and regions in solidarity

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18 September 2022
Ukraine: The war that unites cities and regions in solidarity

On the early morning of February 24, Europeans woke up to the devastating news about the full-scale war that was launched in Ukraine by the Russian Federation. And the reaction was lightning fast.

Cities and regions united in support of the Ukrainian people: both those who stayed in their homeland to fight the aggressor, and those who fled to other countries in search of safety.

Seven months later, progressive local leaders didn't take a step back. Across Europe, they continue to stand firmly with Ukraine not only in words, but in actions.

Moving fast towards the reconstruction of Ukraine

In September, a group of PES Group members led by the President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Vasco Alves Cordeiro, and PES Group President, Christophe Rouillon, Mayor of Coulaines, France, met the mayor of Kyiv, Vitaly Klitschko, in Prague to discuss the reconstruction and transformation of Ukraine.

Klitschko expressed his gratitude for the support and stressed that further cooperation with the CoR should be more systematic.

Progressive leaders continue to support Ukraine with all possible means

In July, the President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) Vasco Alves Cordeiro and the mayor of Kyiv Vitaly Klitschko congratulated cities and regions for organizing summer camps for Ukrainian children in the European Union, offering them a safe place to recover from the horrors of war.

Earlier that month, a delegation of PES Group members led by PES Group President Christophe Rouillon, Mayor of Coulaines, France, paid a two-day visit to the region of Constanta, Romania, to discuss the Ukrainian crisis with the local and regional authorities and visit the refugee centre of Isaccea, where they met families coming mainly from the war-torn cities of Mykolaiv and Odesa.

At the end of June, CoR and associations representing European cities and regions launched the European Alliance for Cities and Regions to help Ukraine’s local and regional authorities rebuild houses, schools, hospitals, services and infrastructure destroyed by Russian troops.

This will be an ongoing report on our actions to help Ukraine.

In August, CoR member Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence, and Benoit Payan, Mayor of Marseille, visited Kyiv and its suburban cities of Bucha, Irpin and Borodyanka — scenes of horrific Russian atrocities. They signed an agreement with Vitaliy Klitschko, Kyiv mayor and President of the association of Ukrainian cities, to support the reconstruction of Ukraine and presented the plan to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In an opinion to be presented at the upcoming European Committee of the Regions Plenary Session on 12-13 October, PES Group member Dario Nardella will also outline more in detail the European Committee of the Regions' proposals on The role of EU cities and regions in rebuilding Ukraine. He will in particular suggest the development of a reinforced U-LEAD programme that becomes the key multilateral instrument to support local communities and promotes decentralization in Ukraine.

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Header photo: Unsplash /  Anastasiia Krutota 

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