Collaboration between Ukrainian communities and sister cities: a pathway to growth and recovery.

For the past decade, Ukraine has declared its aspiration for membership in the European Union and has been looking to other developed Western countries that support us in our struggle for independence and development. However, active cooperation between Ukrainian communities and foreign cities has only recently begun, and not all Ukrainian communities have a well-developed network of sister cities. This was mentioned in a comment by Alexander Solontai, the head of the public organization "Agency for Recovery and Development," to UNN.

Formation of a New Partnership Geography

In the first two decades of independence, many Ukrainian communities had partnership ties with cities in Belarus and Russia. According to Solontai, not everyone understood the potential threats posed by such cooperation at that time. The war has clearly demonstrated that these ties not only failed to promote development but also turned out to be hostile in many cases. "In the first 20 years of independence, it was quite normal for many communities to have sister cities in Belarus and Russia or elsewhere. Unfortunately, at that time, there was a lack of understanding of the threats this could lead to. And secondly, when the war broke out, it turned out that those who should have been our friends and helpers were, of course, our enemies. Moreover, there was no real self-governance there," Solontai stated in a comment to UNN.

Today, according to him, priorities have changed, and Ukrainian cities and communities are actively seeking partners among civilized countries that can foster the development of local self-government, economic cooperation, and the recovery of affected territories.

After the decentralization reform in 2020, when the Verkhovna Rada approved a new map of administrative divisions consisting of 1,469 communities, including about 400 urban ones, new opportunities for international partnerships emerged. Western Ukraine has traditionally maintained close ties with European countries; however, central, northern, southern, and eastern communities are just beginning to actively establish international cooperation. "Of course, there has been a powerful wave in this cooperation," Solontai noted.

Moreover, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law on international cooperation of communities last year, which was another step toward systematizing this process. In particular, it allows not only for new sister city agreements but also for assessing the effectiveness of existing partnerships. Many Ukrainian communities already have cooperation memorandums, but they often cannot take full advantage of their potential. That is why it is essential to create institutions that help communities find partners, develop cooperation, and gain real benefits from these connections.

German Sister Cities

One of the best examples of effective cooperation with foreign sister cities is Brovary, the largest satellite city of the Ukrainian capital. The Brovary community has established partnerships with the following cities: Fontenay-sous-Bois (France), Henan (China), Zhanjiang (China), Rockford (USA), Sillamäe (Estonia), Krasnicki County (Poland), Gniezno County (Poland), Grodzisk County (Poland), Tonala (Mexico), Santa Marinella (Italy).

After the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine in 2022, German cities Erlangen and Jena joined the list. They became the main support for the Brovary community during the full-scale war.

Cooperation between Brovary, Jena, and Erlangen has covered a wide range of areas: from the supply of medical equipment to educational exchanges and humanitarian aid.

In November 2022, with the support of Jena, Erlangen, and the German organization Engagement Global, equipment worth over UAH 3.9 million was purchased for the Brovary hospital. In the winter of 2023, the community received a heat blower and a generator from Jena to support energy supply. In March of the same year, the cities officially cemented their partnership with a solidarity agreement.

June 2023 marked a significant moment with the visit of a Brovary delegation to Germany, where Ukrainians learned about the functioning of municipal enterprises and educational institutions. In the autumn of 2023, the partnership continued to expand: in October, the city of Jena provided the Brovary community with a bus for transporting students from Knyazhytsky Lyceum, and just before Christmas, the community's children received humanitarian gifts from the residents of the German city.

The beginning of 2024 was marked by the official visit of Mayor Igor Sapozhko and the Brovary delegation to Jena and Erlangen, where issues of energy, housing construction, and economic development were discussed. In April, an association "JenaUA e.V." was established in Jena to deepen cooperation. In the same month, several Brovary German language teachers participated in an exchange program in Jena schools, familiarizing themselves with local teaching methods.

In October 2024, representatives of the city of Jena, led by deputy Matthias Mito, visited Brovary, meeting with local residents and internally displaced persons in the modular town. They also visited the Brovary hospital, where equipment purchased with the support of German partners is in operation.

Erlangen has taken in over 1,600 refugees from Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, including residents of Brovary.

Apart from humanitarian aid, cultural exchange is also developing. A number of educational initiatives have been organized, including photo exchanges between students and joint sports events.

Cooperation with sister cities also focuses on the communal sector. In August 2023, an online meeting of representatives from the water supply companies of both cities took place, marking the first step toward technical cooperation.

Thus, the partnership between the cities continues to develop and yield tangible results in various areas of social life.

International Attention to Partnerships

According to Alexander Solontai, head of the NGO "Agency for Recovery and Development," the development of sister city ties has become one of the key topics of international conferences dedicated to the recovery of Ukraine. For example, during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Germany, significant attention was paid to Ukrainian-German partnerships between communities. A similar process is currently being actively supported by Italian municipalities, which are analyzing existing partnerships and helping Ukrainian communities find new sister cities.

Interestingly, at the level of civil society and business, international cooperation has long existed. Ukrainians working abroad, the diaspora, volunteers, medical professionals, entrepreneurs, and students have maintained connections with foreign partners for quite some time. However, at the level of local self-government, such agreements are, according to Solontai, much fewer, creating space for the active development of this area.

The Role of NGOs in Developing Partnerships

Today, many organizations in Ukraine are helping communities establish international cooperation. After the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, new initiatives aimed at strengthening ties between Ukrainian and foreign municipalities have emerged.

The "Agency for Recovery and Development" has become one of those organizations that currently assists communities in obtaining these partnerships. We are not alone. Fortunately, many organizations have been established in Ukraine for this purpose. Even new organizations have been created after the full-scale invasion. There are a number of new initiatives and organizations specifically aimed at this. To provide Ukraine and its communities with partnerships with other communities in different countries, regardless of whether they are EU members, across the world, in civilized countries," Solontai noted.

Therefore, sister city ties are not just symbolic memorandums; they are a real opportunity for Ukrainian cities to attract resources, experience, and support from foreign partners. The more such connections that are established, the stronger our communities will become in post-war recovery. Public initiatives, local authorities, and international partners must join forces so that every Ukrainian community has the opportunity for development and prosperity through international cooperation.