Gdańsk/Brussels (European Newsroom) – Ukrainian cities and regions may risk exclusion from decisions regarding the allocation of billions in reconstruction funds unless they are granted a significant role in the planning, governance, and execution of such support, a joint statement by the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine has warned.
During a meeting at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2026 in Gdańsk, Poland, the alliance urged the establishment of a “localisation marker” within donor planning frameworks and dedicated funding that allows direct local access.
Antje Grotheer, President of the State Parliament in Bremen, Germany, and chair of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) Working Group on Ukraine, emphasized the necessity for local and regional authorities to have a stronger voice in donor discussions and reconstruction strategies. She highlighted that Ukraine’s decentralisation reforms have been vital for sustaining resilience during the conflict.
“There is an increasing need for enhanced coordination of support aimed at municipalities and regions,” Grotheer noted.
Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Rebuilding and Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, indicated that Ukraine is transitioning from emergency reconstruction to developing resilient communities. He asserted that the experiences of Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages during the war could bolster resilience across Europe.
EU law implementation
The joint statement issued on Wednesday pointed out that more than 70 percent of EU law is implemented at the local level; however, the majority of reconstruction funding for Ukraine continues to flow through national governments, compelling municipalities to compete for remaining resources. At the URC 2026 in Gdańsk, the CoR and its alliance partners called for structural reforms.
The alliance also encouraged Ukrainian regions to leverage existing EU programs and platforms, emphasizing the contributions of neighboring EU countries to both Ukraine’s military efforts and its reconstruction, and advocating for targeted support for them.
The EU member states bordering Ukraine include Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.
Formed in June 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the alliance connects EU and Ukrainian local and regional authorities and was co-founded by the CoR, an EU advisory body. Its mission is to facilitate an effective reconstruction of Ukraine that includes local and regional authorities instead of centralizing fund implementation at the state level.
The URC was also established in response to Russia’s invasion, building on the annual Ukraine Reform Conference initiated in 2017 by supporters of Ukraine, including the European Union.
The URC 2026 is scheduled for June 25 and 26 and will focus on sectors heavily affected by Russian attacks, such as energy, critical infrastructure, and logistics. The lead-up to the conference has been marred by escalating tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently named a military unit after Ukrainian underground fighters from World War II, who have also been accused of atrocities against Poles and Jews in what is now western Ukraine. In response, Poland’s conservative President Karol Nawrocki revoked a prestigious Polish honor awarded to Zelensky.
This story was produced by the European Newsroom (enr) in cooperation with the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). Editorial responsibility rests with the enr.
Leave a Reply