Grand Rapids Sister Cities International and the mayor announced a new partnership spanning thousands of miles away.
On Tuesday, at the annual gala, they announced a Friendship City alliance with Dnipro, Ukraine.
"This is what strengthens us and leads us to the free world. Victory over dark medieval evil," Dnipro's mayor told a crowd in a video recording.
"This event is a celebration. Unfortunately, the time is right now a dire and there's death and destruction all over Ukraine. But every moment that we have to celebrate and look to the future, we should embrace that opportunity," Ukrainian Oleksandr Kovalenko told FOX 17. "The fact that Grand Rapids is partnering, friendship city with the Dnipro. It inspires the local community. It makes them feel at home."
Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss announced that the two cities are now Friendship Cities, which will help foster exchanges of cultural traditions, education, and ideas. They join the six other cities in Poland, Japan, and South Korea.
"It brings so much rich diversity here to our own community, and it really elevates our commitment to being an inclusive, welcoming community for all," Bliss said.
GRSCI President Leonardo Tombelli explains that the Friendship City status is a starting point before becoming a Sister City.
"We encourage personal relationships with the citizens around the world to discover Grand Rapids and for Grand Rapids Ian's to discover our sister cities in all the continents of the world," Tombelli added.
Dnipro is on the front lines of Russia's war with Ukraine. In late May, a medical facility was one of the many targets in this war. Authorities say the attack killed two and wounded 30 people.
Most recently, the city is just upstream from where an explosion happened at a nearby dam.
"The world expected us to fall within three days. In the Ukrainians obviously said, 'We have other ideas,'" Oleksandr said. "To support the United States of America has provided to Ukraine is vital and crucial to Ukraine's ability to defeat Russia on the battlefield."
