Sweden: City-to-City Cooperation in Ukraine’s Reconstruction
I am pleased to share that my paper, “The Role of City-to-City Cooperation in Ukraine’s Reconstruction: Institutional Lessons from Lublin’s Cooperation with Ukrainian Municipalities,” has been accepted for presentation at the Third International Virtual Conference on Ukraine, hosted by Linköping University on 21–22 August 2026.
The conference brings together researchers and practitioners working on Ukraine’s reconstruction, long-term recovery and socio-economic transformation. Its interdisciplinary programme covers institutional development, good governance, regional cooperation, migration, social capital, sustainable development and other dimensions of Ukraine’s future recovery. The event will be held online via Zoom.
My presentation examines the role of city-to-city cooperation and municipal partnerships in Ukraine’s reconstruction. It draws on the practical experience of Lublin’s cooperation with Ukrainian municipalities and considers what these relationships reveal about the institutional value of local-level international cooperation.
The paper focuses on a central question: how can municipal partnerships move beyond emergency solidarity and develop into durable mechanisms supporting reconstruction, institutional capacity and long-term cooperation?
The analysis considers how cities can contribute through:
- direct institutional cooperation between local governments;
- knowledge exchange and administrative capacity-building;
- professional and interpersonal networks developed before and during the war;
- coordination with civil society and international partners;
- continuity of cooperation as political priorities and stages of reconstruction change.
Lublin provides a particularly relevant case because its cooperation with Ukrainian cities combines long-standing cross-border relations with the practical experience of responding to Russia’s full-scale invasion. This makes it possible to examine both the strengths of municipal solidarity and the institutional conditions necessary for maintaining cooperation beyond the immediate emergency phase.
The broader argument of the paper is that city-to-city cooperation should not be treated merely as a supplementary or symbolic component of international relations. Municipal partnerships can function as part of the institutional infrastructure of reconstruction, connecting local needs with external expertise, resources and long-term networks of cooperation.
I look forward to presenting this research and discussing how municipalities can contribute to accountable, locally grounded and sustainable approaches to Ukraine’s recovery.
Event Details
Event: Third International Virtual Conference on Ukraine
Host: Linköping University
Dates: 21–22 August 2026
Format: Online via Zoom
Presentation: The Role of City-to-City Cooperation in Ukraine’s Reconstruction: Institutional Lessons from Lublin’s Cooperation with Ukrainian Municipalities
