The reaction of American cities to the Russian invasion of Ukraine: The case of the American-Russian cities’ partnerships

Abstract

In the first months of the Russian-Ukraine war, only 10 pct of American cities suspended or severed their contacts with their Russian partner cities. The result seemingly looked disappointing for the Ukrainian authorities – which have publicly called American mayors to end all connections with the Russian side. It also contrasted with the openly pro-Ukrainian policy of the US federal government. This paper explains actual American cities' approach to the conflict and their reluctance to end sister cities' connections with Russian partners. It also zooms on how the cities' partnerships work in the US and their role as a soft-power tool of American foreign policy. Thus, it contributes to the research on the participation of non-state actors in international relations.