President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the participants of the International Summit of Cities and Regions to develop security infrastructure.

“I invite all of you to already build direct relations with our Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and, accordingly, with the help of the Congress, with Ukrainian communities in order to start joint actions as soon as possible and jointly build a new system of protection of our common way of life. Open, democratic, free life based on very simple things, on cooperation,” he said, speaking at the summit in Kyiv on Thursday.

According to him, "the Ukrainian victory should bring new security standards, new opportunities to build and defend together. Having carried out the decentralization reform, we ensured respect for each community, gave tools for the implementation of each community."

The Russian system, Zelenskyy said, is trying to make it common to mock people, to devalue life. "The Ukrainian system, like the normal European system, is absolutely the opposite. Our strength lies in people, communities, and the ability to act for a common goal. Including decentralized," he said.

"If we consider this war as a confrontation of ideas, together with the victory of our state, we will also note the victory of the idea that people are important. All our communities, every town, every village. Instead of the ruins that Russia brings us, we will restore a European, free life," the president said.