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Strong partnerships to power reconstruction

Voices from the 6th German-Ukrainian Municipal Partnership Conference in Leipzig 2023

Ukraine needs strong municipalities. This was one of the key messages from the sixth German-Ukrainian Municipal Partnership Conference which took place in Leipzig from 13 to 15 November 2023. This is as true of the ongoing situation in wartime as it is for the reconstruction which is already underway in many areas – and Leipzig is playing a major role in this. In the form of German cities, districts and counties, over 190 Ukrainian municipalities can already count on supportive and reliable partners. Time and again the conference demonstrated how effectively these partnerships are working. We captured the voices of mayors and municipal representatives which express how important German-Ukrainian collaboration is to them. They also talk about the areas where municipalities are already successfully at work.

Bonn, 1 December 2023

A group of people in semi-darkness, with lights, Ukrainian flags and banners. Behind them are two illuminated buildings, one is the theatre in Freiburg.
In word and deed... German and Ukrainian municipalities are standing together. Photo: Stadt Freiburg im Breisgau

The sixth German-Ukrainian Municipal Partnership Conference marked yet another milestone in the collaboration between German and Ukrainian municipalities. Even before Russia launched its war of aggression, over 70 city-to-city partnerships were working together on topics related to urban development. The aim was to help Ukrainian cities and districts with the process of decentralisation which was taking place, but also to spark fresh thinking to speed up digitalisation in Germany, and also support Ukrainian partners as they dealt with the consequences of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

The Russian invasion of the whole country in February 2022 initially shifted priorities, and a wave of support from German municipalities for their Ukrainian partners unleashed enormous energy. Mayors were in touch almost every day, municipalities and local people raised donations and organised aid consignments, and German cities set about ensuring they were well prepared to take in refugees. The network of German-Ukrainian cities swelled enormously during this period, as over 100 more German municipalities acted swiftly to set up solidarity partnerships with municipalities in Ukraine.

Voices from the German-Ukrainian Municipal Partnership Conference

Several people are sitting at a long table in a restaurant and are chatting.
German-Ukrainian partnerships are all about personal relationships, trust and communication. Photo: Jens Schlüter

These collaborations are being pulled in different directions, which are not always easy to balance and withstand these opposing forces. Providing emergency aid must be set against long-term prospects for reconstruction and working towards Ukraine joining the EU. More longstanding and experienced partnerships are better placed to maintain their focus on their initial goals, but it is always apparent that the municipalities are standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Both stress how quickly “things come together on a local level” and how meetings between practitioners really bear fruit.

We gathered the following statements at the Partnership Conference in Leipzig. They convey an insight into the wide range of issues on which the municipal partners are working. They bear witness to the level of engagement and personal involvement of all involved, as well as the optimism shared by the municipalities even in the face of the challenges they face now.

Voices from the partnerships

»When Russia’s war started our partner district of Wathlingen responded immediately. They supported us with humanitarian aid and helped us expand kitchens and meals provided in schools. Our relationship with our partners is very important to us. We still have to overcome a lot of obstacles on our way to joining the European Union, but having such reliable and competent partners by your side gives you the confidence and optimism that we will get there successfully.«

 

Andriy Kulchytsky, Mayor of the city of Truskavets
Truskavets has been involved in a city-to-city partnership with the district of Wathlingen since 2005.

»The Danube links Ulm and Neu-Ulm with Ukraine, so for us there was no question of whether we would take in refugees here and help in Ukraine. To that end we set up a solidarity partnership with Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi. For me, the strength of our collaboration on a local level is that we understand what people need and can step in directly. As regards the long-term development of municipalities in Ukraine, it’s vital to be moving in the right direction in structural terms, such as around decentralisation. Independent municipalities are more robust – we’ve seen that now in wartime conditions.«

Sebastian Rihm, Ulm/Neu-Ulm
Ulm, Neu-Ulm and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi have been linked by a solidarity partnership since 2023.

»For me the important thing about partnerships on a municipal level is the human element, direct person-to-person contact without going around the houses. Networking is so important. Here at the conference I realised how many cities and stakeholders from our regions are working with Ukrainian municipalities.«

Brigitte Riegelbauer, Bamberg
Bamberg and Mukachevo plan to set up a city-to-city partnership.

»Our district has been taking in internally displaced persons ever since the 2014 war began. Another 60,000 arrived in February 2022. What these people have been through is a catastrophe in their lives. Many have experienced abuse and rape. We are doing everything we can to help these people by showing that we understand them and that this is a tragedy for our whole society. For our part we are not allowed to spend money on community institutions during wartime, as all the money goes to the front line. We even had to stop building facilities for refugees. This is where our partner city of Greifswald is helping us. We’ve been able to build playgrounds, for example, where children can spend time together.«

Taras Kutchma, Mayor of Drohobych
A municipal partnership has linked Drohobych and Greifswald since 2017.

»For us partnership doesn’t just mean gaining material advantages, but also sharing experiences and feeling supported. That’s particularly important as we move towards EU membership. But partnerships also benefit German cities, too. For example, they’re interested in finding out how city administration continues to function even in crisis mode. We’re also planning to collaborate on a hospital level, particularly around trauma management and surgery, so German doctors will come to observe what we do here.«

Mykola Vavryshchuk, Deputy Mayor of Khmelnytskyi
Khmelnytskyi signed a three-way partnership with Dresden and Stuttgart in 2023.

»Ukraine has huge potential and what matters now is not being afraid. Life doesn’t stop: it goes on. So we need to plan all the major reconstruction projects now. Everything needs to be ready, everything thought through. We can’t waste any time.«

Mykola Vavryshchuk, Deputy Mayor of Khmelnytskyi
Khmelnytskyi signed a three-way partnership with Dresden and Stuttgart in 2023.

»Everything felt so peaceful in Chernihiv and we thought reconstruction was on the cards. But then out of nowhere a missile attack hit the city’s market square in August. That really shook me. You really have to grasp how fragile the situation is here. Even getting started on reconstruction takes a huge effort for a country which is still at war. For that, it needs robust municipal structures.«

Luise Clemens, Aachen
Aachen and Chernihiv have been involved in a solidarity partnership since 2022.

»Unfortunately Irpin is one of the most heavily damaged cities in the Kyiv region – 70% of the buildings have been damaged. We had to start the reconstruction process without delay. We aren’t just relying on government funding – we’re using our own resources and funds from European partners. A lot of projects have already been rebuilt and jointly opened with European partners. Many European partners have come to our city and are lending a hand with reconstruction. We’re working with them so we have maximum transparency around how we use their money. We follow three principles which underpin what we do: we need to rebuild quickly, we need to rebuild to a high quality, and we need to demonstrate the highest levels of transparency and honesty when rebuilding. We are safeguarding that transparency.«

Oleksandr Markushyn, Mayor of Irpin
Irpin has been involved in a city-to-city partnership with the city of Borna in Saxony since as long ago as 1976.

»This conference is an incredible sign. It’s come at exactly the right time, one where Ukrainian municipalities might be afraid that our attention is only on the Middle East. In my view, a vital element in achieving sustainable reconstruction is actively making climate goals part of our thinking.«

Henriette Reker, Mayor of Cologne
Cologne and Dnipro have been involved in a solidarity partnership since 2022.

The German-Ukrainian partnership network is growing

Since 2022, the German-Ukrainian partnership of cities has grown from 76 to 193 partnerships. It gained momentum and attention through the patronage jointly assumed by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Selenskyj, in 2022. The strong political presence at this year's conference once again emphasised the importance of municipal partnerships.

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