Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – In the midst of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, North Rhine-Westphalia and the Dnipropetrovsk area close to the front have established a regional partnership. NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) and the regional governor Serhiy Lysak as well as other representatives signed a declaration of intent on Tuesday.
The format was unusual: Lysak and his deputy Volodymyr Orlov were connected digitally from the city of Dnipro to the State Chancellery in Düsseldorf, where Wüst and Europe Minister Nathanael Liminski signed the letter of intent. The Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, also came to Düsseldorf.
The regional partnership between NRW and Dnipropetrovsk is intended to network municipalities, associations and clubs in both regions. In a first phase, NRW provided direct help to deal with the consequences of the war. To date, 370 power generators have been delivered to the area. Another aid transport will start shortly with a field kitchen and a tent for 100 people who have become homeless, said Wüst. NRW also wants to help with reconstruction.
The central Ukrainian industrial and agricultural region of Dnipropetrovsk has repeatedly been the target of Russian rocket attacks. In January, at least 45 people were killed and many injured when a rocket hit a high-rise building in the city of Dnipro. Russian troops invaded the neighboring country on February 24, 2022.
