Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko answered questions from Yahoo from the Ukrainian capital, which has been surrounded by the Russian army for several days.
Together with Volodymyr Zelensky, he is one of the leaders of the Ukrainian resistance since the Russian military invasion. Former boxer Vitali Klitschko, like the President of Ukraine, chose to stay in the capital, which he has ruled since 2014.
It was from his mayor’s office in Kyiv that he answered Alexandre Delperier’s questions about his struggle to defend his city, surrounded by Vladimir Putin’s army, and his country.
“I cried this morning like every day”
The two-meter colossus, multi-medalist in the heavyweight category, splits the armor and does not hide the fact that from the very beginning of the war he was often overcome by emotions. “I cried this morning, I cry every day,” he says. A little earlier this Friday, a woman with a child came to me after a rocket attack. They have no money, no roof, and they don’t know what to do. (…) I cried with her,” he says.
“Honestly, I can be old and strong, but it’s hard for me to listen to these stories, to cope with people’s emotions,” 50-year-old Vitali Klitschko modestly exhales. Father, he took his children to a safe place, away from the bombing of the capital. In Kyiv, he can count on the support of his younger brother Volodymyr, also a boxing medalist who serves in the Ukrainian army.
“My father taught me that it is a privilege to die for one’s country”
In this troubled time, Vitali Klitschko also draws strength from the memories of his father Vladimir. Former officer of the Soviet Air Force, he participated in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident in 1986. He died of cancer at the age of 64. “He didn’t think about his health, he thought about helping people, solving problems after the disaster,” recalls his son.
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“My father taught me that it is an honor for a man to be able to defend his country, to die for it,” continues the Kyiv mayor. “If my country needs me to give my life to protect it, I am ready to give it to her.”
“The Russians have a huge army. But Ukrainians have the will to win.”
Vitali Klitschko’s determination is a reflection of the many Ukrainians who have chosen to take up arms to resist the Russian invasion. “I am surprised, even pleasantly surprised, how motivated people are,” said the mayor of Kyiv. “The Russians have a huge army, they have more weapons. But we have the will to win, to protect our future, because we do not want to return to the times of the USSR.”
For the former boxer, “None of us wants to die. But we don’t want to live in the Russian Empire, that’s what we’re fighting for.” “If I die, I would rather die defending my city and my country, like many other Ukrainians,” he adds.
“Putin is a dictator, he wants to enslave Ukraine”
Vitali Klitschko believes that “Putin is a dictator who wants to enslave Ukraine.” The mayor of Kyiv does not seem to have high hopes for talks with the Russian president. “There is no need to argue with him, he is crazy, sick.” It also condemns the killing of civilians killed by the bombings. “Kharkiv, Mariupol completely destroyed (…) What kind of compromise can we find? Should we cede some territories to Ukraine? Agree to return to the past?” the chosen one is carried away, who recalls that Moscow had already annexed Crimea in 2014.
“I have only one message for the Russians: get out of Ukraine, go home, you have nothing to do in our country,” launches Vitali Klitschko. “We, Ukrainians, have always been a friendly, peace-loving people. But today we have no choice but to fight.”
“Every euro that Europe gives to Moscow is invested in the army”
Since the beginning of the war, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital has repeatedly called for international assistance. As for France and, in particular, Emmanuel Macron, Vitali Klitschko “expects him to be strong, enforce international rules and, above all, support Ukraine.” He again calls on the international community to send weapons to the Ukrainians.
He also calls on countries around the world to stop all trade with Moscow. “Every dollar, every euro that Europe gives to Russia is invested in the Russian army, and this leads to such scenes of desolation in Ukraine.”
“Maybe Putin wants to recreate East Germany”
The intentions of the tenant of the Kremlin worry Vitali Klitschko, who is perplexed: “How far do Vladimir Putin’s ambitions go?” He is confident that this does not stop at the separatist territories of Donetsk and Luhansk, in the east of the country. The ambitions of the Russian president can reach “Poland and even Germany. Maybe he wants to recreate East Germany? This also applies to the Baltic countries,” he warns.
The mayor of Kyiv seeks to separate the politics of Vladimir Putin from the Russian people and nation. “I have nothing against the Russian nation,” he insists, pointing out that his mother is Russian. “Half of my blood is Russian. My problem is aggressive politics [du Kremlin]”.
Read the full interview with Vitali Klitschko here:
Interview: Alexandre Delperier