A delegation of Ukrainian mayors took part in the Urban7 international summit

A delegation of Ukrainian mayors has begun participating in the prestigious Urban7 international mayors’ summit. The two-day event kicked off on June 3, 2026, in the French city of Nancy as part of France’s current presidency of the Group of Seven (G7).

The Ukrainian delegation included prominent representatives of local government: Serhiy Morgunov, Mayor of Vinnytsia; Oleksandr Senkevych, Mayor of Mykolaiv; Andriy Moskalenko, First Deputy Mayor of Lviv; Bohdan Kelichavyi, Head of Kopychyntsi; and Vitaliy Bilobrov, Deputy Mayor of Kherson. 

Separately, via video link, Kateryna Yamshchikova, head of Poltava, will join the forum. For Ukrainian representatives, this platform is a critically important opportunity to highlight daily security challenges to the world, share unique experiences of resilience (in particular, the example of liberated Kherson), and find reliable foreign partners for future recovery.

The international forum’s program includes active participation by Ukrainians in specialized working groups. The key event of the summit’s second day, June 4, will be the specialized workshop “Supporting Ukrainian Cities: Strategies for Urban Reconstruction and Resilience.” This session will be entirely dedicated to pressing and urgent issues:

• Rebuilding urban infrastructure and restoring damaged energy systems amid the ongoing war.

• Ensuring the continuity of basic municipal services for the population.

• Developing international twinning programs and direct cooperation between cities.

• The effective integration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and municipal governance amid protracted crises.

The event organizers emphasize that the presence of Ukrainians is one of the main focal points of this year’s summit. In total, the forum brought together over 200 elected representatives from 15 countries, including delegations from national associations of cities in G7 countries, as well as invited guests from South Korea, Brazil, India, and Kenya.

In 2026, the Urban7 alliance officially received the status of a recognized G7 engagement group. The main objective of the current meeting is to formulate and convey a clear political message from global municipalities directly to the leaders of the G7 countries ahead of their major June summit in Evian. Following the meeting, participants are expected to adopt the final “Nancy Declaration.” This document will contain strategic recommendations on strengthening the role of local self-government in addressing global challenges, protecting democracy, and providing targeted financial and technical support to cities affected by hostilities.

This was reported by Ukrinform.