Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, is a tough guy. A former boxing heavyweight world champion, he is perhaps the person most fit to lead his city amidst the tragic invasion from Russia. In an interview with Israel Hayom, Klitschko shares his thoughts on the day-to-day life of running a city under the threat of an imminent takeover by the Russians.
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"We hear the siren 10 or 20 times a day, some people have spent the past two weeks in underground shelters," he said. "So many of our citizens could never ever imagine that they would have to bear arms: doctors, musicians actors. These are totally peaceful professions, but now these same people have had to change into uniforms and get ready to defend our country and our city."
The mayor is upbeat about the prospects of repelling the Russians, because it's more than just a battle over territory, but about the very idea of being Ukrainians in a sovereign country.
"We understand that it is a difficult task but we won't give up because the Russians want to steal our future and they want to make us slaves. Ukraine was always a peaceful nation and a peaceful country and we were never aggressive to anyone but now we have to defend our country from aggressors, from Russia," he said in the interview from his office in the troubled city, as convoys of Russia armored troops continued making their way toward it. The mayor also has a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin: "You made a mistake, and you will pay a huge price for it. Your time is done, your Soviet vision is over."
He adds that the rationale for the war is "easy and simple." According to the mayor, who remains optimistic despite the almost unanimous agreement that the city would eventually fall and its leaders would be targeted, the war was launched in response to "our idea of joining the European family, building a modern and democratic state."
This, he said, runs against the core belief of the purpose Ukraine should serve in Putin's mind. "Putin sees Ukraine as part of the Russian empire," the mayor noted, adding that one of the gravest fears he has is from Russian agents that may have already infiltrated the Ukrainian upper echelons. Klitschko noted that the unsuccessful efforts to arrange the evacuation of civilians are a testament to the Russians' lack of good faith. "These corridors are nothing but Russian propaganda. We have already tried this three or four times (as of Sunday), but the Russians have not delivered on their promise to allow safe passage."
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