Energy resilience, support for people, business development: Association of Frontline Cities and Communities sets priorities for 2026

On 5 February, Kharkiv hosted the Forum of the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities titled “Resilience, Recovery, Development: Vision for Frontline Communities – 2026.”

The event brought together leaders of nearly 300 frontline municipalities, along with representatives of the Ukrainian Government, regional authorities and international organizations.

Participants included Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv and Head of the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities; Vitalii Kim, Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration; Denys Shmyhal, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Energy; Denys Uliutin, Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity; Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration; Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Mathieu Mori; as well as representatives of the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations.

Participants discussed the Association’s key priorities for 2026. These include:
– ensuring public safety and protecting critical infrastructure;
– strengthening energy resilience;
– improving access to healthcare and rehabilitation services;
– supporting internally displaced persons;
– preserving human capital;
– supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.

A central strategic priority identified by participants is recovery, which they stressed must begin immediately, even amid the ongoing Russian aggression.

According to Ihor Terekhov, Head of the Association, frontline regions have already moved beyond a crisis-response logic to a model focused on anticipating and minimizing risks. The key task, therefore, is not only to ensure basic living conditions for residents but also to lay the foundations for long-term development and recovery.

“People in frontline communities are not waiting for loud statements — they need simple, essential things: light and heat in their homes, functioning hospitals and schools, and the opportunity to work and remain in their cities. This is why we united in the Association: to speak with the government in the language of concrete solutions and responsibility for delivering them. Frontline communities have gained unique governance experience, and this experience is shaping not only responses to wartime challenges but also approaches to post-war recovery,” Ihor Terekhov said.

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal emphasized that recovery must follow the principle of “build back better.”

“The right approach to recovery today means recovery through modernization — not simply repairing what was damaged, but making systems more resilient, flexible and autonomous, less dependent on single points of failure and better protected. Development is also a way to prevent frontline communities from becoming ‘grey zones’ that Russia attempts to create. Development requires a clear pipeline of projects, responsible actors, partners and decisions. International partners’ interest in Ukraine, particularly in frontline communities, remains high, and we must not lose this momentum,” he noted.

Vitalii Kim, Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, stressed that Ukraine’s future recovery depends on whether the government can create conditions for people to live and develop today.

“Recovery does not begin after the war — it must start today, by creating conditions in which people can live, work and make plans for the future in their communities and in their country. Economic activity, development, resilience and our future will be possible only where these conditions are in place. Our task is not to delay these decisions or wait for the perfect moment. If we want to build a strong country after the war, we must lay the foundation today,” Kim underlined.

Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity Denys Uliutin also stressed the importance of sustained support for people living in frontline areas.

“People stay where support is not one-off but systematic and predictable, even amid war. Humanitarian response cannot serve as a long-term solution. In frontline communities, social policy determines whether people stay or leave. It must focus on every individual, guide them from the first request for assistance to stability, and rely on those who work directly with people — social workers,” Uliutin said.

The Association of Frontline Cities and Communities was established in 2025 as a platform to coordinate local governments operating under constant security threats. More than 300 communities from frontline regions of Ukraine have already joined the Association. Among its achievements are securing the retention of 64% of personal income tax revenues in local budgets and the adoption of government decisions to increase salaries for education and social sector workers in frontline communities.