Gdańsk, 26 June 2026 Local and regional leaders have welcomed the results of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 as demonstrating growing recognition of the critical role that regions and cities will play in Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery. They also pointed to a growing sense that solidarity with Ukraine is entering a new phase, with more attention to building long-term resilience and win-win partnerships. The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC), which ended on 26 June in Gdańsk, was held less than a fortnight after the EU and Ukraine opened the first negotiations on reforms required for membership of the EU. The conclusions of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, an annual gathering created to support Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, broadly reflect calls made by the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. These include recognition of the importance of municipalities and regions to Ukraine’s resilience, of the potential offered by cooperation between regions, and of the need for stronger coordination with local and regional authorities, as well as recognition that regional policy and good governance will be critical to Ukraine’s development. The discussions in Gdańsk heard repeated calls for substantial capacity building and material support for local and regional authorities. Speaking on behalf of the Alliance, Antje Grotheer (DE/PES), president of Bremen State Parliament and chair of the European Committee of the Regions Working Group on Ukraine, said: “We need to help mayors, because they are the ones who are in charge of so many critical services. People do not complain to the national government if there is no energy, if there is no heating; people complain at the local level. The achievements of Ukraine’s mayors in the past four years are remarkable. We in the EU have much to learn from them – and we should