Cities action for Ukraine
City-to-city cooperation has taken on new meaning following Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Long established twinnings, cooperation through networks such as Eurocities, and friendships between mayors have provided a basis for cities to demonstrate their ability to be diplomatic actors.
Millions of Ukrainian refugees have found food, shelter, kinship, schooling and jobs in Europe’s cities. Emergency support has been disbursed to provide people in Ukraine with everyday items and medical equipment.
As the Russian attacks increasingly targeted Ukrainian cities – including the Eurocities member cities of Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa – mayors from West and East undertook innumerable solidarity actions and held many calls, including with Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv, and President of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, to understand what actions would be the most useful, including at political level.
In March 2022, within three weeks of the outbreak of war, thousands of people took to public squares across Europe to show solidarity with Ukraine. In total more than 150 European cities participated in the #CitiesWithUkraine initiative launched by Eurocities.
Local leaders and demonstrators gathered to call for peace in Ukraine and to oppose Russia’s assault on democracy and freedom. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strengthened those messages in a live address to a 35,000-strong crowd in Florence, which was broadcast to the other cities around Europe.
In August, led by the Mayor of Florence, an international delegation of mayors from the rest of Europe undertook a mission to Kyiv to speak with President Zelenskyy and sign a Memorandum of Understanding to support the sustainable rebuilding of Ukrainian cities. The agreement, which outlines plans to match rebuilding needs in Ukraine with capabilities of other European cities, put many mayors in direct contact with one another and adds to the mix of other city-to-city collaborations, such as the Sustainable rebuilding of Ukrainian cities pilot project, outlined below.
This speed of action, and ability to act on the ground, is something that European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen remarked on in her meeting with several mayors from the Eurocities network in October 2022: cities are practical actors, able to quickly put in place workable solutions, which is something very much needed at the current moment.
For example, the cities of Gdansk and Riga sent buses to Lviv and Kyiv respectively because the Ukrainian cities lost several during the Russian attacks. And, following a request from Borodyanka saying that the water supply had been affected, Gdansk was able to send material aid to help repair the damage.
The early activation of the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive granted Ukrainians safe access to education, employment and public services in EU member states for a period of three years. While this relieves pressures on the asylum system, it increases pressures elsewhere at city level. For example, in Warsaw, where around three million people transited in the first six months of the war, over 20,000 Ukrainian children are now also attending school.
Elsewhere, such as in Utrecht, employing Ukrainian professionals ‘in exile’ in European cities is an initiative that, if replicated in other cities, has great potential to facilitate knowledge sharing, train the municipal workforce and promote political buy-in for a sustainable reconstruction.
Millions of Ukrainian refugees have found food, shelter, kinship, schooling and jobs in Europe’s cities. Emergency support has been disbursed to provide people in Ukraine with everyday items and medical equipment.
As the Russian attacks increasingly targeted Ukrainian cities – including the Eurocities member cities of Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa – mayors from West and East undertook innumerable solidarity actions and held many calls, including with Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv, and President of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, to understand what actions would be the most useful, including at political level.
In March 2022, within three weeks of the outbreak of war, thousands of people took to public squares across Europe to show solidarity with Ukraine. In total more than 150 European cities participated in the #CitiesWithUkraine initiative launched by Eurocities.
Local leaders and demonstrators gathered to call for peace in Ukraine and to oppose Russia’s assault on democracy and freedom. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strengthened those messages in a live address to a 35,000-strong crowd in Florence, which was broadcast to the other cities around Europe.
In August, led by the Mayor of Florence, an international delegation of mayors from the rest of Europe undertook a mission to Kyiv to speak with President Zelenskyy and sign a Memorandum of Understanding to support the sustainable rebuilding of Ukrainian cities. The agreement, which outlines plans to match rebuilding needs in Ukraine with capabilities of other European cities, put many mayors in direct contact with one another and adds to the mix of other city-to-city collaborations, such as the Sustainable rebuilding of Ukrainian cities pilot project, outlined below.
This speed of action, and ability to act on the ground, is something that European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen remarked on in her meeting with several mayors from the Eurocities network in October 2022: cities are practical actors, able to quickly put in place workable solutions, which is something very much needed at the current moment.
For example, the cities of Gdansk and Riga sent buses to Lviv and Kyiv respectively because the Ukrainian cities lost several during the Russian attacks. And, following a request from Borodyanka saying that the water supply had been affected, Gdansk was able to send material aid to help repair the damage.
The early activation of the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive granted Ukrainians safe access to education, employment and public services in EU member states for a period of three years. While this relieves pressures on the asylum system, it increases pressures elsewhere at city level. For example, in Warsaw, where around three million people transited in the first six months of the war, over 20,000 Ukrainian children are now also attending school.
Elsewhere, such as in Utrecht, employing Ukrainian professionals ‘in exile’ in European cities is an initiative that, if replicated in other cities, has great potential to facilitate knowledge sharing, train the municipal workforce and promote political buy-in for a sustainable reconstruction.
More than words, generators
The European Parliament is standing with the brave people of Ukraine. We have done this since the first day of this brutal and illegal Russian war. We stand in support of an independent and free Ukraine. We stand with a future member of the European Union.
As the Russian aggression shows no sign of abating, we will continue our firm, strong and principled support to Ukraine. We do this politically – and with financial, humanitarian and military aid. Because Ukraine must win. Freedom must win and democracy and the rules-based world order must win.
Since the beginning of the war, missile and drone attacks by Russia have destroyed or damaged a terrifyingly large number of Ukraine’s power stations, leaving millions of Ukrainians without electricity. Figures point to over 40% of Ukraine’s energy system being hit or damaged.
Further to political declarations and resource commitments on a European and national level, which remain indispensable, actions can also be taken on a local level by addressing Ukrainians’ everyday needs. This is the idea behind our campaign ‘Generators of Hope,’ which the European Parliament launched last November with Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence and President of Eurocities. We call on all cities across the European Union to donate power generators to Ukraine, aiding Ukrainians to get through energy and infrastructure shortages. Something that will make a tangible difference in their lives.
These generators will help to keep essential facilities in the country running, providing energy to hospitals, schools, water supply facilities, relief centres, shelters and phone masts. By doing so, we are significantly alleviating living conditions for our Ukrainian friends.
History always teaches us something – and the construction of the European Union has been built on common responses. This donation campaign has become an exercise of concrete EU solidarity in action, from north to south, from public to private sectors, from collective to individual donors. Ghent, in Belgium, sent 14 high voltage generators, Hannover, in Germany, deployed 10 generators. Tallinn, in Estonia, 10 generators. Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, in Finland, just collected nearly 120 generators, power units, heaters and other devices in support of Ukraine, from 70 different donors. Lisbon, in Portugal, Vienna in Austria, Timisoara in Romania just announced they were joining the campaign. I know others will follow. There is no end date to this campaign. Your donation will always be welcomed.
A few weeks ago when I visited Lviv, I had a chance to speak to the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada), Ruslan Stefanchuk, who personally expressed his gratitude for all the much-needed donations.
Our priority is to end the war in Ukraine – while Moscow wants us to start looking away, to lose our focus, to wear us out. Every day Ukrainians continue to fight for European values as well. Our support must remain unwavering. Let us join efforts and make a difference every morning, every cold day, in every village in Ukraine. Let us keep providing generators and hope.
We must continue our steadfast practical, tangible support to Ukraine. We have an obligation to support their daily fights and struggles. With more than words, with generators. We have, literally, the power to make it happen.
by Roberta Metsola,
President of the European Parliament
Generating hope
Generators of hope’ – a campaign launched jointly by Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, and Dario Nardella, President of Eurocities in Autumn 2022 – brings practical aid to the people of Ukraine by delivering a massive supply of power generators at a time of urgent need.
Following months of missile bombardments and drone attacks by Russia on the critical civilian infrastructure of Ukraine, in violation of international humanitarian law, more than 40% of Ukraine’s power stations have been damaged or destroyed, leaving millions of Ukrainians without electricity.
Cities assembled to send more than 500 power generators and thousands of items of electrical equipment and heaters to help Ukrainians deal with the lack of electricity and heating throughout the cold winter months. Turku, Leipzig and Florence were among the first cities to commit generators to Ukrainian cities as part of the Generators of Hope campaign.
For Leipzig, which had an active city twinning with Kyiv from before the war, the existing relationship was massively intensified. As a result, over €100,000 worth of aid was quickly mobilised, even before the winter set in, to send generators that can be used in schools, public buildings, mobile heat centres or as power supply for water pumps. And, in cooperation with Munich, the city is investigating the possibility of ongoing joint support in the reconstruction efforts.
Towards a sustainable rebuilding
In the medium to long term, the interactions between city authorities and relations built up between mayors are likely to be essential in setting the course for reconstruction efforts in Ukraine.
Already, a Eurocities initiative for the Sustainable rebuilding of Ukrainian cities has set up a pilot project between 36 Eurocities member cities and 10 Ukrainian cities and agglomeration areas to run a series of capacity-building workshops towards this end. The project is being run in close collaboration with the Association of Ukrainian Cities, and takes as a starting point understanding the state of needs of the Ukrainian cities. Focused on green reconstruction, the pilot will test working methods and identify tools to assist Ukrainian cities in initiating reconstruction projects.
The initiative seeks to produce a reconstruction blueprint based on principles of sustainable development, which can inform wider efforts, such as the EU’s RebuildUkraine initiative and the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.
In research carried out involving 115 Eurocities member cities across 37 countries in October and November 2022, 64% already had a cooperation partnership with a Ukrainian municipality, and 19% were starting or actively looking for one. Of these, Poland and Germany have the highest numbers of established or intended partnerships with Ukraine, with German cities also representing the largest share of new partnerships (37%). Moreover, almost half of all partnerships are established with Ukraine’s largest three cities: Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa.
Geographic overview of participating cities
Geographic overview of participating cities
Does your city have a partnership with a Ukrainian city?
Does your city have a partnership with a Ukrainian city?
The objective of the project is to closely mirror the European Green Deal and the principles of the New European Bauhaus, in order to prepare for a sustainable and climate neutral rebuilding. Thus, it is further interesting to note that sustainability and sustainable urban development are in the scope of only 36% of the established or intended partnerships between Eurocities members and Ukrainian cities – and that 51% of these are with a partner city from Western Europe, while 25% are from Northern Europe.
Partnerships that focus on environmental sustainability and sustainable urban development
Going forwards, many old, or dormant city-to-city agreements must now be updated to expand the scope of these partnerships and to include considerations for future reconstruction needs.
One such sustainable partnership is between Munich and Kyiv, which previously collaborated in the field of energy efficiency. The aim was to increase energy efficiency in Ukraine in general in order to improve the security of energy supply, reduce dependence on fluctuating energy imports and, at the same time, increase local added value through investments.
Furthermore, between 2015-2020, Kyiv participated in the European project ‘Smarter Together’ as an observer city. In this project, Munich and other European partners tested and exchanged information on new technologies in urban development. Kyiv was thus able to develop its know-how on energy efficiency and renewable energies and to discuss climate protection measures and projects with its partner city, in much the same way as is now hoped for via the Sustainable Rebuilding of Ukrainian Cites pilot project.
Given that there are many initiatives seeking to support Ukraine that are running in parallel, one of the top challenges for initiatives run at city level is to avoid duplications. This means that maintaining good communication between cities is crucial to ensure that such efforts are coordinated with Ukrainian cities.
Another challenge will be to enlarge the scope of cooperation beyond the largest urban centres to mid-size and smaller cities to support territorially just reconstruction efforts.