Bucks Council to sign deal with Kyiv region of Ukraine in solidarity over Russia war

Ukrainian and Bucks leaders were due to ink the historic partnership document on Wednesday to cement and formalise ‘already close ties’ between both areas.

However, a signing ceremony at the council’s headquarters in Aylesbury was called off, with the deal now expected to be signed at Monday’s cabinet meeting.

“We were due to sign that this afternoon,” Conservative leader Martin Tett told a full council meeting on Wednesday evening, revealing he had been working on the agreement for six months.

He said: “With the developments globally, President Zelensky had to call a meeting of some of his most senior people.

“That included the representative who was due to sign the protocol and indeed that meant that we had to postpone that signing.”

The Bucks leader spoke as US negotiators made their way to Russia to try and get Moscow to accept a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Washington, which Ukrainian President Zelensky agreed to earlier this week.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls around 20 per cent of the territory of its neighbour.

Ahead of the meeting, Cllr Tett told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “This arrangement paves the way for a long-term partnership that I see extending into times when we all hope the conflict is behind us and the country and region is recovering and rebuilding.

“Kyiv and Ukraine offer incredible riches in culture, history and education and I am certain Buckinghamshire will benefit from this now established closer link.”

Mykola Kalashnyk, acting head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration added: “The signing of the memorandum of cooperation between our regions is a new level of partnership.

“We want to build together, expand investments, and create new opportunities for people, businesses, and development.”

Once the agreement is signed, Ukrainian officials are expected to visit Buckinghamshire later this year.

The deal will pave the way for ‘opportunities’ for Bucks and Kyiv, according to the council, including exchange programmes and knowledge sharing on cultural, civic and economic activities.

During his speech, on Wednesday Cllr Tett appeared to issue a thinly veiled criticism of US President Donald Trump’s stance on Ukraine, as he noted ‘senior politicians around the world’ were ‘changing in their attitudes’ towards the war-torn Eastern European country.

Trump clashed with Zelensky at the end of last month during a heated row in the White House’s Oval Office as he encouraged his Ukrainian counterpart to agree to a peace deal with Moscow.

The spat between the two leaders was discussed at Wednesday’s meeting, including by Independent Cllr Ed Gemmell, who praised the ‘fantastic’ forthcoming Bucks-Kyiv deal.

He told the meeting: “I think all of us can just cast our minds back to the appalling meeting between Trump and Zelensky.

“I was actually travelling towards a Homes for Ukraine event at the time, and I had to stop the car because I was so angry with what was going on.”

Other councillors, including Liberal Democrat Susan Morgan said Bucks should be ‘really proud’ of ‘welcoming of Ukrainian refugees into Buckinghamshire with open arms’.

Bucks has welcomed more than 2,000 Ukrainians under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and the council has supported families to find work, schools and housing.