Nottingham City Council Cuts Ties With Russian And Belarusian Twin Cities
The move is in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Officials at Nottingham City Council have announced it has severed all ties with its twin cities in Russia and Belarus.
The partnerships between Nottingham and Krasnodar in Russia and the Belarusian capital Minsk were ended following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Nottingham had been tied with Minsk since the 1950s to recognise the damage that the city underwent during World War II. At the time, Nottingham's twinning came as a major step forward in diplomacy with the then Soviet Union.
Similarly, the city was twinned with Krasnodar following a formal declaration which was signed off in 2010. The aim of these twinnings was to improve the culture and economy of both cities.
However, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine initiated by Russia, Nottingham City Council has decided to end all arrangements with Krasnodar and Minsk, which supports the Russian offensive.
In a statement, council leader Cllr David Mellen, called off the twinning with immediate effect.
“We have deep concern at the unfolding events in Ukraine and we cannot stand by as Russian military aggression, supported by Belarus, continues unchecked. We have watched the unfolding news in dismay as Russian troops disregard the independent sovereignty of Ukraine and the city of Nottingham will stand in solidarity with Ukraine and their absolute right to national self-determination," he said.
“The severance of ties is borne out of our unwillingness to be associated with both the Russian and Belarusian governing bodies and is not a reflection on the people of Minsk or Krasnodar.
"It is true that cities such as ours reached out beyond the borders of Europe in the aftermath of the atrocities which ripped apart families, cities and countries throughout the 20th century – the actions taken by Russia are surely a regressive act which will stifle the Russian and Belarusian people who rightly deserve much more from their leaders.”
As a result of the severance, Nottingham is now only actively twinned with Ningbo in China and Karlsruhe in Germany.