Mayor Mathias De Clercq meets Ukrainian President Zelensky in Kiev: “I had to keep this a secret until the last minute” | Ghent

De Clercq was invited by Ukraine as vice-chairman of the European city network Eurocities, the largest city network in Europe. The ‘Second Annual International Summit of Cities and Regions’ will take place on May 8 and 9 in Kiev and is an initiative of Ukrainian President Zelensky. Several Ukrainian cities such as Kiev, Lviv, Kharkiv and Odessa are part of the European network and “Europe Day” May 9 is symbolically important for Ukraine.

Eurocities previously collected 500 generators for cities in Ukraine and is currently running a campaign to collect medical supplies for the affected areas. “During the summit, the mayor announced an EU aid program of 5 million euros that will be implemented through Eurocities,” De Clercq’s office said. “In addition to the congress, a visit to a number of affected regions and cities was also on the program, such as Butcha, Borodianka, Mosjchun and Irpin.”

Given the security risks, the mayor had to keep the summit secret until the last minute. “I didn’t hesitate for a second when I was asked to participate. We must continue to show our solidarity with Ukraine on all fronts. We have expressed our support and commitment from European cities to work together on the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities. That was greatly appreciated,” says De Clercq.