President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the participants of the 4th International Summit of Cities and Regions “Partnership. Resilience. Readiness”, emphasising that communities, inter-municipal partnerships, and support from people in different countries have been one of the key pillars of Ukraine’s resilience during the full-scale war.

‘The format of horizontal interaction – between communities and cities, between regional authorities, and with the participation of government officials – is one of the most telling,’ said the President of Ukraine.

According to the President, Ukraine has never relied solely on intergovernmental contacts at the level of national leaders. The stance taken by civil society, communities, local leaders, the business sector, the media, and millions of people who have supported Ukraine from the very first minutes of this russian aggression has always been crucial.

‘It was this decision by people that became the foundation for many decisions by country leaders, parliaments, and businesses to support Ukraine, our defence, and our people,’ underlined Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The President pointed out that russia’s war today is a war not only against Ukraine, but also against Europe and the European way of life.

‘Most of you understand and feel absolutely clearly what the phrase “For our freedom and yours” means,’ noted the President.

The Summit brought together representatives of municipalities and regions from Poland, France, Austria, Norway, Germany, Italy, the Baltic states, the United Kingdom, the United States, Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands, Moldova, North Macedonia and other countries. Representatives from Belarus took part in the event for the first time.

The President also thanked the municipalities in partner countries for their support of Ukrainians and Ukrainian communities:

‘I thank you for doing everything in your communities to ensure that freedom remains strong and that ties with communities in other countries remain strong as well.’

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the russian threat has not diminished, and that russia continues to pose a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the Baltic states, Finland, Moldova, and Poland.

The President emphasised that strengthening Ukraine’s air defences remains one of the main priorities for international support.

‘It is important now to continue conveying to all political leaders that air defence for Ukraine is the number one priority,’ he claimed.

The President also called for continued joint efforts to build the resilience of Ukrainian communities.

‘It is important to continue working together on the resilience of our Ukrainian communities – and therefore on the experience of resilience that will be useful to communities in your countries,’ stated Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The address specifically mentioned the preparations for the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdańsk. The President thanked Poland for organising the conference and highlighted the importance of real results for reconstruction in Ukraine and of engaging European businesses in relations with Ukrainian communities and businesses.

In addition, the President announced the development of the Carpathian Integration Initiative and preparations for an international forum of the Carpathian macroregion.

‘The fate of our freedom and yours is being decided here, in Ukraine, in this war – in which system prevails here: our shared European system, or Moscow’s,’ emphasised Volodymyr Zelenskyy.