The proposed twinning charter between Trowbridge and the City of Kostopil in Ukraine is likely to be delayed until the new year because it needs approval from the Ukrainian government.

The delay means that Trowbridge Town Council withdrew the item for approval from the agenda for its full council meeting on Tuesday, November 19.

Trowbridge mayor, Cllr Stephen Cooper, who proposed the twinning, said: “After discussion with the Ukrainian authorities before the meeting, it was decided at the last minute to withdraw the approval of the draft Twinning Charter from the meeting’s agenda.

“This was not because of any disagreement about the working between us and Kostopil, but rather because twinning partnerships in Ukraine need to be approved by their government and regional authorities as well as by the twinned city itself, so we are just waiting for that approval before we proceed at this end.

“Obviously, government departments in Ukraine currently have a lot on their plate, so this delay is not necessarily a surprise.

“Anyway, last Tuesday’s agenda item that will hopefully approve the draft Twinning Charter with Kostopil has been deferred until a later date.”

Councillors gave the go-ahead in September to open negotiations on the draft Twinning Charter between Trowbridge Town Council and Kostopil in western Ukraine.

The move followed a presentation from Anastasia Zhuravel, who has been a resident of Trowbridge since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kostopil is a small city in the Rivne Oblast of western Ukraine with a population of just over 30,800.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many Ukrainian women and children have come to Trowbridge to form a ‘strong and vibrant’ community.

Cllr Cooper says twinning with Kostopil would be a ‘hugely symbolic’ show of support for the city while Ukraine is at war with Russia.

He added: “They need to know that we don’t just welcome them to our town, but we also understand their heartache and want to show this in some tangible way. That reason gets more profound, and to my mind urgent, as each day passes. 

“Secondly, I think it’s important that we send a message to the people of a community in a town much like ours in Ukraine itself.

“They need to know that there are still people, not governments, real people living in real communities like theirs, that feel for them and want to send a message of friendship and solidarity.”