More than a third of German cities maintain informal contacts with Russian sister cities

More than a third of German cities and communities continue to maintain informal contacts with Russian sister cities, despite the crisis in relations between the two countries that arose after the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, reports the media group RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), citing the results of its own survey of about 100 German cities and communities that have sister cities in Russia.

“The protracted crisis (in relations between the two countries - ed.) is increasingly complicating cooperation, but German municipalities are in no hurry to sever ties... A total of 39% of surveyed municipalities reported that since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine they had unofficial contacts with Russia,” the material says.

RND writes that, for example, in small towns, exchange continues to be supported by local Russian-German societies. Their work involves former teachers, city government employees and church parishioners. Large cities also reject proposals to completely end sister city relations, even if they are effectively frozen. Thus, in Hamburg and Dusseldorf, attempts to achieve a complete severance of contacts with Russian sister cities were unsuccessful.

According to a media group survey, after the start of the conflict, activists from five German municipalities received guests from their Russian sister cities. In addition, in May 2024, representatives of the Russian-German society of Ettlingen visited Gatchina.

The survey also showed that 42% of municipalities surveyed favor resuming active cooperation after the conflict is resolved.