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Support for Ukrainian communities must remain a priority for cities across the G7, as Ukraine’s struggle for freedom continues to be one of the defining challenges facing the democratic world, Nancy Mayor Mathieu Klein said in comments to an Ukrinform correspondent, UATV English informs.
Speaking during the Urban 7 (U7) Mayors’ Summit, hosted in the French city of Nancy, Klein emphasized the importance of maintaining strong ties between municipalities in G7 countries and their Ukrainian counterparts.
“We wanted Ukrainian cities to be at the center of attention because supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom remains a key issue for the G7 countries. Many cities are already working closely with Ukrainian communities, including through partnerships such as our cooperation with Vinnytsia,” he said.
According to Klein, the summit provided an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of G7 cities to Ukraine and to demonstrate that support for Ukrainian communities remains a priority on the international agenda. He expressed hope that the same message would be echoed at the upcoming G7 Leaders’ Summit in Évian-les-Bains.
The mayor highlighted ongoing cooperation between Nancy and Vinnytsia, as well as joint initiatives involving other European partner cities. Together with Karlsruhe and Lublin, the cities are implementing a project aimed at supporting healthcare services in Vinnytsia, particularly in the areas of orthopedic surgery, prosthetics, and orthotics for wounded Ukrainian soldiers.
“We visited Vinnytsia several weeks ago together with the Mayor of Karlsruhe. This year, much of our cooperation has focused on a joint initiative involving Vinnytsia, Karlsruhe, Nancy, and Lublin to strengthen medical support for veterans and service members returning from the front. Vinnytsia has been especially active in assisting military personnel and veterans,” Klein said.
He added that the participating cities have already signed a cooperation protocol and submitted a funding request to the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. According to Klein, the application is progressing positively.
Nancy has also agreed to host approximately 40 Ukrainian children for a holiday program, including children from internally displaced families affected by Russia’s war.
Klein recently visited Kyiv to attend the Fourth Summit of Cities and Regions in Support of Ukraine. During the event, he was awarded the Golden Heart distinction by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The mayor described both the visit and the award ceremony as deeply emotional experiences.
The final declaration adopted at the Urban 7 Mayors’ Summit highlighted the importance of Ukrainian cities as strategic partners of G7 municipalities. The document specifically emphasized cooperation in strengthening resilience, supporting democracy, advancing reconstruction efforts, countering disinformation, and developing international municipal diplomacy.
Ukrainian mayors and local government representatives participating in the summit also shared their experiences of maintaining critical infrastructure, supporting military personnel and veterans, assisting internally displaced people, and ensuring community resilience amid Russia’s full-scale invasion.
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