During an advocacy visit to Brussels, representatives of Ukrainian communities called on European institutions to more actively involve communities in shaping Ukraine’s recovery, security, and European integration policies. The delegation emphasized: it is the communities that are the first to respond to the challenges of war today, ensuring the country’s resilience and requiring a direct partnership with the EU.
The two-day advocacy visit was organized by the National Interests Advocacy Network «ANTS» within the framework of the project «Stronger Europe, United Front – Advancing Ukraine’s EU Membership for Greater Resilience and Security», supported by the European Union. The delegation included Yurii Zarko (Bilopillia community, Sumy region), Yevhen Bova (Novoselivka community, Poltava region), and Sofiia Hodiuk (Kuialnyk community, Odesa region). Over the course of two days, community representatives held a series of meetings with representatives from The German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EU, the Mission of Ukraine to the EU, the office of European Commissioner Marta Kos, Member of the European Parliament Petras Auštrevičius, the office of Member of the European Parliament Rasa Juknevičienė, as well as the Deputy Head of the Ukraine Division of the European External Action Service (EEAS).
The key theme of all meetings was the need for direct dialogue between European institutions and Ukrainian communities — especially those operating under conditions of war, recovery, and constant security challenges.
«Today, Ukrainian communities are holding up the country’s resilience: they provide basic services during the war, host IDPs, rebuild infrastructure, support people, and essentially shape a new model of state survival amid constant threats. Therefore, it is fundamentally important to us that the voice of the communities is heard directly in Brussels. Ukraine’s European integration cannot take place solely at the level of the central government or negotiation clusters. It must rely on the actual experience of communities that deal with security, recovery, and development challenges every day. It is strong communities that will form the foundation of a strong Ukraine within the European Union», — emphasized Yulia Vusenko, a representative of the ANTS Network.
During the meetings, representatives of Ukrainian communities stressed the need for deeper involvement of communities in international programs and cooperation platforms, the development of direct partnerships with EU municipalities, the creation of new support mechanisms for small communities, and expanded access to international projects, grant opportunities, and funding for local development and recovery.
«For border and frontline communities, the issue of European integration today is directly linked to the issue of security, survival, and people’s future. We live in a reality of constant threats — shelling, infrastructure destruction, evacuations, loss of business, and an enormous burden on local authorities. But even under these conditions, communities continue to work, support people, and look for development opportunities. That is why it is extremely important to us that Europe sees not only the numbers and statistics of the war but also the real challenges that Ukrainian communities face every day. We want the voice of communities to be heard when shaping support policies for Ukraine, recovery programs, and security decisions. After all, it is at the local level that the resilience of the state is being forged today», — stated Yurii Zarko, head of the Bilopillia community.
Yevhen Bova, head of the Novoselivka community, underscored the importance of international partnerships for regional development:
«Communities must get more opportunities for direct cooperation with European municipalities. This is not just about funding — it is about sharing experiences, joint solutions, and stronger local institutions».
Special attention during the visit was paid to new opportunities for submitting joint international projects between Ukrainian communities and EU municipalities.
«European integration must be tangible at the level of every community — through concrete partnerships, new opportunities, and real changes for people», — noted Sofiia Hodiuk, a representative of the Kuialnyk community.
The advocacy visit took place as part of the project «Stronger Europe, United Front – Advancing Ukraine’s EU Membership for Greater Resilience and Security», which is implemented with the financial support of the European Union. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the NGO National Interests Advocacy Network «ANTS» and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
