During its 51st session in Strasbourg, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted on 28 October 2026 a Declaration entitled "Intensifying attacks of the Russian Federation against Ukraine", presented by Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden, SOC/G/PD) and Mihkel Juhkami (Estonia, EPP/CCE).
The Congress reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, and condemned once again the fact that the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine continues to cause the mass loss of innocent lives and human suffering, as well as the targeted destruction of cultural heritage and of vital infrastructure, which represent human rights violations unprecedented in recent European history.
The Congress expressed its deep concern at the increasingly intensive and continuous missile and drone attacks launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine in recent months, targeting Ukrainian cities, communities, critical infrastructure and civilian facilities, and deeply deplored the growing number of civilian victims of these attacks.
Congress members condemned the illegal organisation by the Russian Federation of so-called "elections" in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, stressing that no purported mandate arising from them can alter the legal status of those territories or affect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Recognising that accountability will be required for a just peace, the Congress reaffirmed its commitment to supporting local and regional authorities in Ukraine to contribute to the work of the Register of Damage. The Congress also emphasised that a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine will provide a crucial path to justice.
The Declaration commended the work of Ukraine's local and regional authorities to ensure the provision of emergency support and the functioning of public services in the most difficult of circumstances, as well as the support provided by subnational authorities from other member states, noting that the resilience of Ukraine's local and regional authorities and their capacity to ensure essential services remained a matter of urgent concern as another harsh winter approached and energy infrastructures were again placed under strain.
The Congress drew particular attention to the situation of Ukraine's frontline regions and communities adjacent to the line of contact or to the state border with the Russian Federation, which were subjected to systematic artillery shelling, missile and drone attacks, forcing local and regional authorities to perform their functions and deliver essential humanitarian, educational and health services under a daily threat to life.
Congress members called on member States, the Council of Europe Development Bank and other international partners to address the specific needs of frontline regions and communities in recovery and reconstruction programming. The Declaration also invited local and regional authorities of member States to develop direct partnerships with Ukraine's frontline regions and communities through existing formats, including the Cities4Cities platform established under the patronage of the Congress, the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, the Assembly of European Regions, and region-to-region co-operation agreements.
In this regard, the Congress welcomed the launch of the Carpathian Integration Initiative in September 2026 as a new platform for strengthening regional and transfrontier co-operation, democratic resilience and sustainable development and encouraged active engagement of local and regional authorities of the participating countries, building on existing co-operation frameworks, including the Carpathian Convention and the Carpathian Euroregion. The Declaration underlined the importance of ensuring a central role for local and regional authorities in developing practical cross-border partnerships, strengthening territorial cohesion and contributing to the resilience and recovery of Ukrainian communities.
The Congress reiterated its commitment to supporting work on the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine as well as work on decentralisation reforms, through its Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance and its project launched in April 2025 on "Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine's recovery", and emphasised the importance of financial support, targeted capacity-building and training programmes, together with a sustainable development approach, in this context.
With the hope that a meaningful peace process to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine might be possible, Congress members reaffirmed their solidarity with the Ukrainian people and authorities and their commitment to a common, democratic future based on respect for international law and a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
