Intercity cooperation in times of war: Ukrainian cities, European partnerships, and urban governance (2022–2025)

This article analyzes the transformation of intercity cooperation between Ukrainian and European cities from Russia’s invasion in February 2022 to 2025. Drawing on qualitative content analysis of Eurocities communications and city council records from six Ukrainian cities, it shows how cooperation evolved from informal emergency assistance into structured, institutionalized forms embedded in European programs and governance. Intercity cooperation developed along two key dimensions, formality and function, with emergency resilience emerging as a distinct function of city diplomacy under wartime conditions. Over time, these partnerships provided relief while supporting post-war reconstruction and Ukrainian municipalities’ integration into European multi-level governance structures.