Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko calls for political unity in Ukraine
As we approach the grim third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine which began on 24 February 2022, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko visited Brussels to receive an award from the European Committee of the Regions for leadership in protecting human rights.
Beyond this award, the visit was also an opportunity for the former boxing champion to call for national unity.
Previously a fierce critic of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Klitschko's call for unity comes at a difficult time for the country, both in a military sense as well as diplomatically.
The US, which until recently was a staunch ally of Ukraine under former President Biden, is now changing its tune under current President Donald Trump. A major indication of this was the talks on Ukraine that took place earlier this week between Russian and US officials in Saudi Arabia, with Ukraine excluded entirely.
Furthermore, Trump later described his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, as a "dictator without elections."
Now, Klitschko has abandoned his critique of what he described as authoritarian tendencies on the part of Zelenskyy, and is now firmly in step with the country's opposition in supporting the president. The two men had a fractuous relationship for several years, but today Klitschko points out that organising a presidential election in wartime is difficult and dangerous.
An election campaign could "destroy the country from within," said Klitschko during his visit to Brussels.
"Millions of people are on the front line right now, millions of people outside the country, millions of people inside the country are refugees," he added.
Cracks in the national unity
Cracks have nevertheless begun to appear in Ukraine's political unity and rule of law. Former president and opposition leader Petro Poroshenko has been sanctioned by the Ukrainian government on national security grounds, which has resulted in the freezing of his assets.
The EU's leading political force, the European People's Party (EPP), had denounced the measures taken against Poroshenko.
For EPP President Manfred Weber, "it is urgent to preserve the unity of Ukraine in this crucial phase of the war and the international efforts to bring it to an end."
The German went on to say that rather than "labelling him a traitor, I would stress the invaluable services Poroshenko has provided to Ukraine, in particular the building of a strong army."
During his visit to Brussels, Klitschko reiterated the values for which his country is fighting.
"We must defend our desire to be part of the European family, because everyone must understand the reason for this war. We want to be part of the European family and the Russian Federation has said no to us," he said.
The Mayor of Kyiv also stressed the importance of European financial assistance and the need for this support to continue in the future. "We are not just defending our homeland, we are defending democracy, we are in fact defending each and every one of you."
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