The Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, urged Ukrainian politicians to „forget about political games” as war ravages, stating that national unity is essential to resist Russia.
Organizing national elections while Ukraine remains under martial law would be „poison for the country,” said Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko in an interview for TVP World. According to him, political competition during the war risks weakening Ukraine from within.
The former heavyweight boxing champion who has been leading the capital of Ukraine since 2014 reflected on the eve of the fourth anniversary of Russia's large-scale invasion, recalling the initial hours of the attack and the extreme effort to govern a city repeatedly hit by attacks on critical infrastructure.
Klitschko stated that the city he leads faced the toughest winter of the war so far, with temperatures dropping to around -20°C and repeated Russian attacks disrupting the supply of heat, water, and electricity for thousands of residents.
He mentioned that repair works are often canceled by new attacks, forcing municipal teams to start over after each new wave of rocket and drone strikes.
Russia has continued to target Ukraine's energy system in recent weeks, launching large-scale attacks on multiple regions and exacerbating interruptions during freezing conditions.
Unity is the key
Asked about the tensions with President Volodymyr Zelensky that have become public, Klitschko criticized public internal struggles and urged politicians to "forget about political games" while the war continues. National unity is essential to resist Russian aggression, he emphasized.
He said that any negotiations must protect Ukraine's national interests and include credible security guarantees, warning that a temporary pause in fighting could give Russia time to regroup for a future attack.
Klitschko also called on European nations not to see the war as a distant danger. "If you think this war doesn't affect you personally, it's the biggest mistake," he said, calling for sustained support to maintain pressure on Moscow.
Does the former boxer trust "referee" Trump?
On the other hand, in an interview for Sky News, the Mayor of Kyiv urged US President Donald Trump to "be on Ukraine's side" during peace negotiations with Russia. However, the mayor acknowledged that sometimes the president's messages are hard to understand.
When asked if he is confident that the US president will support Ukraine's efforts to retain as much of its territory as possible in peace negotiations, Klitschko responded, "It's the United States, it's very important. It's extremely important."
"In this fight, President Trump is not exactly on your side. At best, he sees himself as a referee," presenter Trevor Phillips told him.
The former boxer laughed and replied, "If Trump has to be a referee, he has to be very objective and neutral. But it would be much better to have such an influential man on our side."
Asked if he trusts this "referee," Klitschko paused for about 12 seconds, took a deep breath, and calculated his response: "I try to trust him, but sometimes I don't clearly understand President Trump's messages regarding peace in Ukraine."
How can the war end?
Asked if he sees an end to this war, the mayor paused again. "This war can easily stop. One person started this war - I'm talking about the President of Russia, Putin, who can easily stop it," he replied.
"Putin understands power. Russians never pay attention to a weak position. And that's why we, Ukrainians, need to be strong, and we are stronger when we are together with our partners," added Vitali Klitschko.