The Voice of Frontline Communities Heard in Europe:

Ihor Terekhov Presented the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities to the European Committee of the Regions
Mayor of Kharkiv and Head of the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities, Ihor Terekhov, joined online the meeting of the European Committee of the Regions’ Working Group on Ukraine, held in Prešov (Slovakia).
The key topics of discussion were the challenges faced by Ukrainian regions during the war, ways to strengthen local democracy, coordination between donors and municipalities, preparations for the 2026 Ukraine Recovery Conference, and the role of communities in the European integration process.
In his speech, Ihor Terekhov stressed how important it is that the voice of frontline areas is heard in European forums. He underlined that local communities are currently providing critical services to the population and coordinating reconstruction.

“Frontline cities are the front line in the fight for the freedom of Europe, and tomorrow they will be the forefront of its reconstruction. We highly appreciate the support of the Committee of the Regions and the fact that local self-government is placed at the centre of the recovery process. For our communities, this is not a theory but a daily reality, when we restore power, water, critical infrastructure and support people,”
said Ihor Terekhov.

The Head of AFCC emphasised that the principle of “local self-government at the centre of recovery” should become a basic principle in further work – both in preparing for URC-2026 and in implementing the updated support package for Ukraine.

“Our Association is ready to work with European regions, to prepare joint projects for the Ukraine Recovery Conference and to ensure coordination between communities and donors. We are convinced that decentralised recovery and strong local democracy are the way to a resilient, European Ukraine,”
concluded Ihor Terekhov.