A meeting took place in Lviv between the Mayor, Andriy Sadovyi, and Niels Annen, State Secretary at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. They discussed life in Lviv during the full-scale war, the development of security solutions, and expanding cooperation between Ukrainian and German cities.
While in Lviv, Niels Annen highlighted the importance of inter-municipal partnerships and the city’s resilience in wartime conditions.
I am very glad we have this opportunity to meet. It is encouraging to see that city partnerships really contribute to this unshakeable spirit and to how you are coping with everything
During the conversation, the Mayor thanked the German government and German communities for their consistent support of Ukrainians. He focused in particular on Lviv’s cooperation with Freiburg, Würzburg, Frankfurt am Main and Düsseldorf. According to Sadovyi, these cities have provided Lviv with substantial medical, social and economic support.
The Mayor stressed that Lviv is actively developing its medical sector, veterans’ policy, and educational and arts programmes. The city shares its tried-and-tested practices with other Ukrainian and international communities by running idea residencies and training programmes. Recently, this format of cooperation was implemented for representatives of Estonia, Norway and Sweden, and the Mayor proposed organising similar training for German partners as well.
Sadovyi underlined that education is a key tool for change for Lviv, and that the city’s experience in the fields of resilience, medicine, the economy, the environment, reconstruction and community development can be scaled up in other cities.
The meeting also covered the global political situation, Russia’s ongoing strikes on Ukrainian cities, and the resulting security risks for the whole of Europe. Niels Annen stressed the need to raise awareness in German society of the direct threats posed by Russia and of the importance of continued solidarity with Ukraine.
A separate topic was the forthcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference 2027 — the sixth International Ukraine Recovery Conference, which is scheduled to take place in Estonia in January next year.
As a representative of the German government, Niels Annen supports the course of providing Ukraine with financial and humanitarian aid for as long as needed. He emphasises that a Russian victory would cost the security of Europe and Germany far more than current spending on supporting Ukraine. Annen is also involved in developing German-Ukrainian municipal partnerships — in particular by supporting exchanges of experience between communities, strengthening local self-government and implementing joint projects.
Support for Lviv from the German government
In 2023, the German government allocated 9 million euros for UNBROKEN initiative projects in Lviv. The funds were used to build a prosthetics workshop, purchase the necessary equipment and train prosthetics specialists. A further 3.5 million euros was provided for the construction and outfitting of a modular diagnostic centre at St Luke’s Hospital, including equipment for MRI, ultrasound, X-ray diagnostics, endoscopic, ophthalmological, cardiological, therapeutic and surgical care.
In 2024, with the support of the German government, a large UNBROKEN prosthetics and orthotics centre opened in Lviv. The initiative was implemented as part of the project “Special Support Programme for Ukraine / EU4ResilientRegions”, carried out by GIZ Ukraine and funded by the German government.
Freiburg, which has been Lviv’s twin city since 1990, was one of the first partners in creating the UNBROKEN rehabilitation unit, providing 500,000 euros to build one of the floors. The city also allocated 100,000 euros for the restoration of Lyceum No. 5, damaged by a Russian strike in 2024. In 2026, Freiburg joined the UNBROKEN Cities Network.
Würzburg became Lviv’s twin city in 2023 and joined the UNBROKEN Cities Network initiative the same year. Together with the DAHW foundation, Würzburg financed two strategic projects for the development of rehabilitation: the construction of two additional floors at the UNBROKEN centre and the creation of a mental health centre at St Luke’s Hospital. In addition, the city provided 5,000 euros for repairs at Lyceum No. 70.
Frankfurt am Main signed a cooperation agreement with Lviv in 2024, and in 2025 joined the UNBROKEN Cities Network. The cities are implementing a joint project, the “Tram of Partnership”, and are cooperating within the Unbroken University programme.
In 2026, Düsseldorf also joined the UNBROKEN Cities Network initiative, further strengthening the network of German-Ukrainian city partnerships that are helping to restore and develop Lviv in wartime.