On 5 June, new memoranda were signed at the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine as part of the ‘Shoulder-to-Shoulder: Cohesive Communities’ Government project. Two more communities joined the partnership: Kupiansk (Kharkiv region) and Soledar (Donetsk region), which received support from partner communities in the central and western regions.

Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories, attended the event and emphasised the importance of solidarity and timeliness in supporting affected areas.

‘Today, we must support the outposts. If they did not stand firm, it would make things much more difficult for all of us. Their resilience is our common strength. That is why it is important to support such a community in a timely manner — then it has real potential for the future, not just a chance. Our strength lies in unity and solidarity. Our strength lies in standing shoulder to shoulder,’ said Oleksii Riabykin.

Lviv, Poltava, Rivne, Chernivtsi, Chop, Tetiiv, Tarashcha, Volodar, Medvyn, and Novoselytsia communities signed a memorandum with the Kupiansk City Military Administration.

The Bilohorodka community in the Kyiv region has partnered with the Soledar City Military Administration. The new partnerships provide humanitarian and infrastructure assistance, as well as joint work on educational, cultural, and social initiatives.

The community leaders who signed the agreement emphasised that the ‘Shoulder-to-Shoulder’ project is an example of active cooperation that unites the country around shared values and responsibilities, rather than just an exchange of resources. Mutual support, coordination, and trust between communities form the basis of sustainable development and recovery.

The event was also attended by international partners, including Dave Fortier, president of the American One World Strong Foundation.