Welsh council twinning with Ukrainian city will demonstrate compassion – councillor says

Anthony Lewis – Local democracy reporter

Twinning a Welsh county with a Ukrainian city would provide a truly meaningful way of demonstrating support and compassion for people there, a councillor has said.

A notice of motion approved by Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) full council recently calls on the council to look into the possibility of twinning with the Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad.

The motion says that February 24, 2026, will mark the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces began and that in the almost four years that conflict has been ongoing millions of people have been displaced and, while estimates vary, it is accepted that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians – both military and civilian – have been injured or killed in the conflict.

It says: “Countries across Europe, including here in Wales, have played an important role in welcoming those who have been displaced by the conflict and this council is proud of the role that Rhondda Cynon Taf has had in providing that support.

“This council has already formalised its commitment to the people and nation of Ukraine with a notice of motion passed by members in February 2024.

“This motion seeks to reaffirm that support and look to a future – hopefully one where a peace deal can be reached that provides a fair outcome and justice to the Ukrainian nation and its people.”

Ysgol Garth Olwg have already started the process of establishing
educational ties with Ukrainian schools.

However in a further show of solidarity the council proposes to explore more formal civic twinning arrangements. Pavlohrad (Pavlograd) is a city in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Like Rhondda Cynon Taf the area has a rich mining history and there are further similarities between the communities of Rhondda Cynon Taf and the city of Pavlohrad, the motion says.

The twinning arrangements would both educational and civic and would be similar to the existing arrangements that Rhondda Cynon Taf has with Nurtingen, Wolfenbuttel, Ravensburg, and Montelimar.

The motion said that in terms of cost there would be minimal to no costs incurred as a result of this decision.

The motion requests officers bring forward a report to the relevant committee that explores the opportunities for establishing formalised twinning arrangements between Pavlohrad and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The motion also calls on the council to “condemn the continued aggression of the Russian invaders and reaffirm its unwavering support for Ukraine and its people.”

Deputy leader of the council, Councillor Maureen Webber, said: “This motion today is about the difference we can make as a council.

“Establishing a twinning arrangement with Pavlohrad would involve little or no cost while providing a truly meaningful way of demonstrating our support, civic engagement and compassion for those people in Ukraine.

Councillor Andrew Morgan, the leader of the council, said having links with schools is a good thing and commended Mick Antoniw and other Members of the Senedd for going out there taking medical supplies and other things.

He said it was about “letting them know that countries in the rest of Europe and elsewhere are still supportive and hopefully there are better times ahead for those individuals and for those children.

“I think we absolutely should do it and I think it’s a really good cause. I commend the schools in RCT who have wanted to take this forward and why shouldn’t we?”

He said: “We shouldn’t forget about it. Every day people are dying.”

Councillor Will Jones, leader of the Independent group, said he had been to Ukraine many times as an international basketball official and he said they are wonderful people who are “strong, steadfast, very much like we are.”

He said it would be lovely to exchange visits when times are right but it’s showing that the support is there and they are very much like Valleys people.

Councillor Steve Bradwick said he has a friend from this area of Ukraine and when he told her about the notice of motion she was quite moved.

He said: “I fully support this notice of motion and the Ukrainian people are absolutely amazing.”

Councillor Sera Evans, deputy leader of the Plaid Cymru group, said they’d be supporting the motion and condemned the continued agression of the Russian invaders in Ukraine.

She said the county and Wales as a nation of sanctuary are a “credit to all that is decent in supporting and showing solidarity with the people of Ukraine.”

She said establishing these twinning links reinforces their pledge of friendship and respect for a nation suffering from the effects of war.