"The people of Bonn have shown great solidarity since the beginning of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. I am therefore optimistic that we have a good basis for this solidarity partnership with Kherson, in which we will closely involve the citizens," says Bonn's Mayor Katja Dörner. "As Kherson is a frontline city, the cooperation will certainly present us with special challenges, but this must not lead to a lack of support," says Katja Dörner.
Good contacts from Bonn to Kherson
There are already good contacts between Bonn and Kherson. In August 2022, for example, the District Administrator of the Kherson region and the President of the Kherson Oblast Regional Assembly visited the Lord Mayor in the City Hall at the invitation of the Bonn Ukraine Solidarity Initiative (SoliBU). Aid transports for Kherson have been organized by Ukrainians living in Bonn and refugees from Ukraine.
The city of Kherson sent a letter to the Mayor of Bonn shortly before Christmas, which was forwarded to the city via the Ukrainian Consulate General in North Rhine-Westphalia in mid-January, with a request for support and the wish to establish town twinning relations. The solidarity partnership will make it possible, for example, to apply for funding for municipal reconstruction programmes and also to continue to support the work of the many people, organizations and institutions providing aid for Ukraine in Bonn.
"Round table" with citizens
The Council instructed the Mayor of Bonn to establish the solidarity partnership. Further details will be set out in a cooperation agreement (letter of intent). The citizens of Bonn will also be involved in the development and organization of the solidarity partnership. To this end, the administration will invite them to a "round table".
The city of Kherson
The southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, with around 290,000 inhabitants (as of 2021), was subjected to heavy fighting right at the start of Russia's war of aggression and was captured by the Russian military in March 2022. Thousands of people fled Kherson as a result. In September 2022, the Ukrainian military launched a counter-offensive - and succeeded in liberating the city from Russian occupation. The Russian attack led to severe destruction of infrastructure such as schools, kindergartens, hospitals and energy supplies. Kherson is currently under military administration.