Korosten Joins GMF’s Ukraine Cities Partnership Initiative as First City

On the evening of July 10, Volodymyr Moskalenko, Mayor of Korosten, Ukraine, and representatives of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, officially launching their cooperation under the framework of the Ukraine Cities Partnership for Sustainable Local Recovery (UCP).

The city of Korosten, located in the Zhytomyr Oblast, is the first municipality to join UCP, an initiative led by GMF to support the sustainable, resilient, and inclusive recovery of Ukrainian cities in response to the devastation caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Despite the ongoing conflict, planning for reconstruction must begin now to support economic growth, encourage citizens to return, align with European standards, and revive Ukraine’s 2014 decentralization reform. Inspired by the Marshall Plan, UCP brings together cross-sector, transatlantic partners to co-develop innovative urban solutions with up to three Ukrainian cities of under 100,000 inhabitants, many of which face acute recovery needs but limited access to international support.

The three-year initiative aims to equip local leaders with the knowledge, networks, and capacity to not just rebuild their cities, but to modernize and grow sustainably. The partnership will help strengthen local capacity in key areas, including local democracy and civic engagement, urban planning and development, engineering and infrastructure, and project finance. As the first city to join UCP, Korosten will pilot innovative solutions and serve as an inspiring, scalable model for reconstruction efforts across Ukraine.

Serving as the UCP Secretariat, GMF connects and convenes transatlantic stakeholders from all sectors to drive actionable solutions for local Ukrainian communities. UCP partners include businesses, NGOs, research centers, and other technical and subject matter experts who understand local needs and the challenges of rebuilding amid ongoing conflict.

“For the Korosten community, joining UCP is an extremely valuable opportunity,” Mayor Moskalenko noted. “First, it gives us access to experiences and tools that will help us more effectively build a resilient, innovative, and European-oriented community. Second, it opens new horizontal connections with other cities, enabling mutual learning and the development of joint projects,” he added.

For media inquiries, contact Angelina Sutalo ([email protected]).

For general inquiries, contact Hannah Abdullah ([email protected]).

Learn more at www.gmfus.org/ucp