Oleksii Kuleba speaks at the III International Summit of Cities and Regions in Kyiv

On 6 June, the III International Summit of Cities and Regions took place in Kyiv – a key event for strengthening local self-governance and international cooperation in the context of recovery.

The event was attended by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, representatives of over 100 foreign delegations, and leaders of Ukrainian communities and regions.

Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Kuleba delivered a welcoming address. In his speech, he emphasised that frontline and border communities remained a priority in regional policy, both in terms of security and recovery and long-term development.

“Our firm stance is to focus our attention on frontline and border settlements. Our top priority is to address their needs and support them, to enhance the institutional capacity of communities, and to create conditions for long-term development – all amidst a full-scale war,” said Oleksii Kuleba.

He paid particular attention to communities enduring constant shelling or those recently de-occupied.

“It might seem that closer to the front, people no longer live. But that’s not true. In Sumy, just 20 km from the border, over 200,000 people reside. In Kharkiv, more than a million; in Zaporizhzhia, 600,000. In de-occupied Borodyanka, over 80% of residents have returned. We are building major systemic projects – even during a full-scale war. For example, the Mykolaiv water pipeline, one of the largest infrastructure projects, is being implemented at record speed. It is already 90% complete, all to ensure that over half a million people have access to water again,” he added.

According to Oleksii Kuleba, over 110,000 families have received compensation for destroyed housing under the eVidnovlennia programme, which continues to expand.

He highlighted that cooperation between Ukrainian communities and foreign cities was actively developing: over the past three years, 500 Ukrainian communities had signed more than 2,000 partnership agreements with 64 countries worldwide. These ties are already yielding tangible results in education, healthcare, housing policy, and cultural exchange.

As an example of internal solidarity, Oleksii Kuleba mentioned the state initiative “Side by Side: United Communities.”

“Over 450 Ukrainian communities have formed horizontal partnerships to support frontline communities. They are rebuilding together, responding to shelling, and helping children. This initiative is growing, scaling up, and laying the foundation for trust among communities across the country,” stressed the Deputy Prime Minister.

He also recalled one of the war’s largest man-made disasters – the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, which occurred exactly two years ago. According to Oleksii Kuleba, this crime had severe humanitarian, environmental, and infrastructural consequences, yet it serves as an example of how communities, the state, and partners unite to overcome the aftermath of destruction and restore life to affected regions.

Oleksii Kuleba expressed gratitude to the international delegations who personally attended the event in Kyiv. Unfortunately, last night they witnessed a massive russian attack on Ukraine: air raid alerts sounded across the country, with casualties among rescuers and civilians, as the aggressor deployed hundreds of drones and missiles.

“This morning, my daughter asked me if such attacks and nights like these are forever. This is not just a child’s emotion – it is a challenge we face and a responsibility to future generations. Today, Ukraine is doing everything for a just peace and victory. And we can only achieve this together, with our international partners,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

Oleksii Kuleba concluded that recovery amidst daily shelling was unprecedented but possible thanks to the unity of Ukrainians and international support.