27/05/2026 (Agence Europe) – Meeting in Kyiv on Wednesday 27 May, the day after massive Russian strikes, European and Ukrainian local leaders sealed new territorial cooperation agreements at the fourth International Summit of Cities and Regions. In response to urgent energy and reconstruction needs, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) advocated for strengthening direct partnerships and programmes such as Interreg, particularly in the Carpathian region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed this solidarity by awarding the honorary title of ‘Rescuer City’ to several European cities, including Gdańsk, which will host the Ukraine Recovery Conference on 25 and 26 June. Speaking on behalf of the CoR, the city’s mayor, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, asserted that the success of Ukrainian resilience “depends entirely on trust between the central government and local authorities, between the state and its citizens, and between Ukraine and its European partners“. (JM)